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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28336560">Two Tools To His Name</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Crawling_Chaos/pseuds/The_Crawling_Chaos'>The_Crawling_Chaos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2b2t, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Big brother Dream, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Demon Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Lonely TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), POV Alternating, POV TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Phil Watson Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Runaway TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Technoblade is Bad at Feelings (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Deserves Better (Video Blogging RPF), Twins Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), manhunt!dream</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,319</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28336560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Crawling_Chaos/pseuds/The_Crawling_Chaos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy is fed up. He can’t stand being the youngest child, always relying on his older family members to help him do everything. He is tired of having no unique talents to his name, and constantly being overshadowed by his more skilled brothers. It was time that he took his life into his own hands. </p>
<p>AKA, Tommy runs away and finds himself in a strange land full of strange people.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson, Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) &amp; Other(s), Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Summer Act I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His family was so </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">special. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His father, Phil, had broad bird wings that carried him up to dazzling heights, and his survival skills were second to none. His Big Brothers, Wilbur and Techno, were even more showy. Wilbur could beguile any unsuspecting mark into giving up their valuables with just one charismatic look and song, while Techno could defeat any foe across the land, no matter how skilled or determined. His abilities with the sword were unmatched, and his unique pig hybrid traits allowed him to easily intimidate the bravest of men. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So why was Tommy a member of their family? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They all had such wondrous feats to their name, and beautiful traits that set them apart from the rest of the common folk. They could accomplish anything they wanted, practically. Not even the sun could outshine them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy, being the third and youngest child of this grand family, should’ve possessed some unique traits of his own. Perhaps a wicked set of powers like Wilbur, or interesting mob hybrid features like Techno or Phil. So why didn’t he? Why was his birthright to be the one everyone always overlooks? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked like every other youngest child; bright blue eyes, blond hair, and braces. Slightly taller than average at 6’3, but still. Height didn’t replace superpowers or mob traits. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was never the one others noticed first. Their eyes always latched onto the imposing, grandiose figure of Techno first, and failing that, Wilbur’s startlingly handsome frame second. Phil could grab the attention of anyone by just clearing his throat, and his quiet wrath was feared by all who had heard of his gentlemanly and pleasant demeanor. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Tommy? Tommy had to </span>
  <span class="s2">fight </span>
  <span class="s1">to get others’ attention. He had to yell, kick up a fuss, and swear like a sailor to even garner a speck of blessed attention. He had learned to utter the most taboo profanities and topics just to attract the spotlight from his brothers’ shadows. At such a young age, he already knew that the world was a rotten, cruel place that would like nothing more than to stamp him down. Though his family would often baby him with hugs and loving moments alone, he knew that they were just </span>
  <span class="s2">pitying </span>
  <span class="s1">him. Their praises were not genuine, and their smiles were not kind. They just wanted to rub it in his face, the fact that he wasn’t special like them. He would never be equal to them, he would never be able to step out from the black shadow they cast over him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So why even bother. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy had made up his mind to run away that morning. He would grab as many supplies as he could carry, and then he would run as far as he could into the night before they noticed he was gone. He estimated that if he left just after everyone had gone to sleep, he would have eight or so hours to get a head start. Phil was quite an early riser, but he was often prone to letting the boys sleep in. It would be Wilbur he had to worry most about: that motherfucker never slept soundly, and when he did, he always woke up at completely random times. That posed a potential problem to Tommy’s plan. He had to just hope and pray that his brother had a deep and restful sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno would not be a problem. He could sleep through a buzzsaw going off in his ear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That night, Tommy had everything prepared. His communicator was wrapped right around his wrist, set to roaming mode. His backpack was full of the absolute necessities, like cans of non-perishable food and a water purifying set. He also had some water bottles, a flint and steel, extra blankets plus his sleeping bag, and coal and sticks for torches. A diamond pickaxe, axe, and fishing pole were also strapped to his pack. It was this moment he chose to be grateful towards Phil for modifying his backpack for extreme survival settings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy took one last look at his room. It would be the last time he ever got a glimpse of it, because now, he was off into the unknown. Into adventure that was <em>all his own</em>, not anyone else’s. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Expertly gliding across the creaky wooden floor, Tommy navigated his way through the house until the reached the big window in the living room. It was here that he’d make his escape. The window could come unlatched and be pulled up without causing too much loud noise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once the window was sufficiently cracked open, he began to squish himself through. It wasn’t too difficult an endeavor, since he was quite skinny already. But once he was finished, he softly closed the window, careful to not utter a single sound that would give him away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Satisfied with his sneaky escape, Tommy slunk off into the dead of night, backpack jumbling around with all the items he so densely packed in within it. He had never felt so free as he did sprinting away from his family and their home. The bitingly cold wind ruffled his blond hair and brought tears to his blue eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As always, Phil was the first one up. He began cooking a hearty breakfast for his three boys, scrambled eggs and pancakes to be specific. He had made sure to never cook or feed Techno bacon, after that one incident in the diner. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had been preparing the meal for a few pleasant hours before he heard the soft noises of graceful feet coming down the stairway. Wilbur: only he had that distinctive feather light gait. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey Phil. What time is it?” He asked groggily. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil smiled. “About 9:45, Wil. I’m surprised you’re up this early.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hah well, don’t get used to it. Today was a fluke, I’m sure I’ll be back to sleeping in later than Techno tomorrow. Ya know, the usual.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time Phil laughed. “Oh are you sure about that? You </span>
  <span class="s2">know </span>
  <span class="s1">late he sleeps. I’m surprised he ever gets anything done.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur made a dismissive exhale and slide over to the dining table. “Needs his beauty rest for the next Hypixel Orphan Slaughtering tournament I suppose.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bright and sunny laughter filled the kitchen at that remark. Phil had a rosy smirk on his face and Wilbur was so smugly pleased with himself it almost hurt to see. Making Phil laugh was no small feat, and he was allowed some preening time goddamnit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was another few hours before Techno finally arose to greet them and have breakfast. Wilbur was on his second helping, while Phil was on his third. Techno scarfed his whole plate down, before politely asking for more in that signature monotone drawl. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before long, they were all plopped down on the blanket covered floor and engaging with each other in games of strategy, namely chess. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno was facing off against Wilbur, the former having chosen the white pieces while the latter got the black. It appeared like Techno was pulling ahead, gaining an advantage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hah, you won’t be needing this bishop anymore nerd.” Techno swiped Wilbur’s piece with his knight and placed it down in the jail. Wilbur had foolishly left his bishop open to capture, and Techno had taken the opportunity so beautifully gift wrapped to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, Techno. Very good.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur was surprisingly calm for just losing his piece. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Too calm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He moved his rook all the way across the board into the space the knight had just left open. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My rook has moved the length of the entire board. As per the rule book, I would like to promote this rook to the rank of Queen.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled wickedly, the glimmer of sociopathic satisfaction darkly apparent to Techno. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, and one more thing. Check.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil laughed so loudly that Techno had to cover his ears. How had he not seen that coming? It was so obvious now that he was analyzing the board more carefully. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh mate, he totally fucked you this time!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno frantically tried to save himself, but Wilbur had manipulated his pieces in such a way that he couldn’t do anything but watch as his new Queen backed his King into a corner. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Checkmate, Blade.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil clapped Wilbur on the back in pride, and joined his son in laughing at the pink haired prodigy. Usually he was so composed and level headed, but at this loss he could do nothing but sputter in disbelief. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh-good game I guess. I’m gonna consult the art of war next time we meet on the battlefield, Wilbur Soot.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hah, don’t be so glum big bro. It was a fair match, and i’ll be sure to beat you next time too.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno scrunched up his face in rage and tried to sock his brother in the head. Wilbur laughed uproariously and lunged out of the way. Phil lurched forward and expertly deflected Techno’s attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s no way to treat the victor.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh don’t take his side, Phil! He’s being a little shit, and you know it! Let me at him!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil chuckled lightly. “Now, what kind of a father would I be if I let you do that?” He said in a falsely sweet tone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A damn good one!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then they all had a shared laugh at the sore loser and his pink cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And the one child who would’ve found this whole event the most hilarious was not there to join in. For he was far away, entering the lands of anarchy and true freedom for the first time.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Summer Act II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy knew he had traveled a long distance when he started seeing the lava casts. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They stood grand and terrifying over him, casting great shadows that blanketed the desolate land. Made purely of cobblestone, they looked quite imposing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it was not enough to deter Tommy. He would press forward, and put more distance between him and his family. He couldn’t bear to be found now, to be brought back home after so much progress. He would have to answer hard questions, and put up with Phil’s fussing and Wilbur’s whining. And Techno’s hard, disappointed stare. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He couldn’t deal with that. He ran away to prove a point, and he’d be damned if it didn’t sink in. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The lava casts only got taller and more frequent as he proceeded. They became entangled with each other, like the creator <strike>or creators </strike>had gotten impatient and frustrated. Or maybe they had just been in a hurry. Either way, they blocked his path, and he could barely see the setting sun through their peaks. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He brought out his pickaxe and started swinging. The old, cracked cobble gave away easily at his pick, and soon he had dug a hole suitable enough for a temporary resting spot. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He laid out his sleeping bag, and brought out his water bottle. He was parched as hell. After he took a hearty swig, Tommy took a peek outside of his base. The sun was almost fully set by this point; it had been a full 24 hours since he ran away. They should’ve noticed his absence by now, and even if they hadn’t, his grace period was almost over. The journey away from his family was just beginning. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">BOOM. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy jerked awake. He scrambled to the one opening in his hole and peered out. What the fuck had caused that explosion? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What he saw was truly baffling. Two figures in full enchanted diamond armor and elytra wings were battling in the wastes of one of the lava casts. They both were placing obsidian blocks and...some sort of floating block on top of them. With one well placed punch, the floating thing would burst into a huge explosion that hurt the other combatant. Neither used traditional weapons like swords and axes, they only seemed to use the block combat. It did appear to be effective though, having a devastating effect on the figure closest to the explosion. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually one of them started to break down. They were slower to place their obsidian down, and couldn’t get as many hits off. Their screams rang out across the battlefield, as a shard of shrapnel finally managed to pierce their heavily enchanted armor. This opening was just enough for the other to take advantage. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The victor began shouting something. Tommy was too far away to hear, but it sounded smug. The defeated warrior spat something back at him, and raised an object above his head. The victor yelled in rage and dashed towards him. He was too late however, as the bottle broke around the injured one. It turned out that he was holding a pot of invisibility. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And then he was gone, disappeared into thin air. After a few moments of frantically swinging at the dead air, the victor seemed to give up. His opponent was gone, and he had virtually no way of finishing him now. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As he turned to fly off, an axe dug into his back. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy couldn’t see the guy’s face, but he could hear the guttural howl that erupted from him. He fell to the ground, and then vanished into a puff of smoke. He would respawn at his bed, without any of his beloved items. The newly crowned victor picked up what he wanted from the stuff left behind, and then blasted off from the murder site without much pomp and circumstance. Like it was something he did everyday. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy gulped. He had walked into this land willingly, without any idea what it would take to live <strike>survive </strike>here. And now that he had seen what the local people’s fighting styles were like, he realized just how out of his depth he was. They fought with entirely different weapons, and maxed out gear that even <em>Techno</em> didn’t have yet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If he was going to stand a chance out here, then he had to put in serious effort. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before he could ponder his situation more, a glint caught his eye. It was one of the dropped items from the dead warrior. It glittered faintly in the dark night and intrigued Tommy. So, against his better judgement, he slipped out of his rest stop and began creeping towards it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And his risk payed off. The dead man’s items were quite valuable. Just from a cursory glance, he could see diamonds and golden apples left behind. Those were incredibly useful and would aid Tommy greatly in his quest. But they weren’t what excited him the most. There was one thing that superseded all the others in terms of value. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">A Totem of Undying. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had only heard legends of such things back when Phil used to tell him bedtime stories. They were supposedly relics of an ancient civilization that had died eons ago, but the eldritch magick contained within them still functioned perfectly well. As long as it was held, it would keep one from the cold grasp of death itself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy quickly stuffed it in his backpack. He began to gather as much loot as possible before heading back to his hiding hole. Already, his luck was turning for the better! </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a successful night’s sleep, Tommy awoke to a hot summer afternoon. He had slept in a bit too late, and now it was past lunch, if the sun’s position in the sky had anything to do with it. He had to start moving now, lest he lose ground to his relentless family. They would surely be coming for him now, he couldn’t take any chances. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gathered up his heavy backpack, and started trekking west. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The formations of the new land began to corrupt and distort the further along Tommy walked. The trees lost their leaves more and more, and man-made cobblestone blocks littered the ground, sometimes leading up to a magnificent lava cast. These lava casts would even occasionally still be lava, yet to be cooled off with water. They would bubble and give off such intense heat that Tommy couldn’t bear to be near them for long. How had their builders even tolerated the process of erecting them? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wondered about this as he continued on. How had the inhabitants of this strange land adapted to their world? Were their structures a culture or just a byproduct of eccentric wanderers looking for entertainment? Was the destruction a result of their odd fighting style, or perhaps an ancient cataclysm? So many questions, yet no answers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil would’ve had some answers. He always seemed to know everything about anything of importance, and his scholarly mind loved to study ancient worlds and events. This place would’ve been a field day for him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>No!</em> Tommy wouldn’t think of his father now. Nothing positive would be gained from thinking of the man who raised him. He had left him in the shadows of jealousy for too long; he’d just have to come up with his own answers. This place had a history, and Tommy was smart enough to uncover it all by himself. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">All by himself. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sweat dripped down Phil’s back as he worked in the backyard. He was replanting some flowers that had begun to wilt and die, and the scorching summer sun wasn’t doing his raven black wings any good. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur glided up beside him. “Hey Phil, have you seen Tommy yet today?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil took this moment to set down his tools and take a break. He was sick of working in the baking heat. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No. Why? Are you looking for him?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur’s eyes pinched curiously. “Yeah...I haven’t seen him. I don’t think he left his room at all yesterday, and the day before I only saw him once or twice.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s odd. I don’t remember seeing him yesterday either....” Phil tapered off, unsure about what to say next. Now that Wilbur had mentioned it, he didn’t recall Tommy showing his face at dinner or breakfast at all yesterday, which was very unlike him. That boy was always eating their food like a greedily little raccoon. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something was wrong. His supernatural senses prickled at the back of his mind; something was dreadfully wrong and he had missed it until now. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wil, come on. We’re going to Tommy’s room.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, he might not like that. You know how he gets when we barge-“ </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil cut him off curtly. “I know, but I think something is off.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That drew Wilbur’s attention for sure. He was protective of Tommy, like all of them were, but Wilbur took his big brother role to an extreme. If anything bad had happened to his littlest brother, then there would be hell to pay. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They made their way up to Tommy’s room on the second floor. The door was still tightly shut, and the light off. Phil felt a chill run down his spine; there was no way Tommy had slept in for two whole days straight. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned the door knob and pushed his way in. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Everything was in its proper place. No sign of struggle. Except for one glaring issue. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Tommy was gone. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Techno! <em>Techno</em>, get out here!” Phil shouted at his oldest son’s locked door. His voice was dark and commanding, and Techno immediately heeded his father’s word once he took notice of it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s going on?” Monotone as ever, yet Techno’s eyes told a different story. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil looked distraught, and he almost couldn’t bear to utter the words. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“Tommy’s vanished.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Summer Act III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were craters everywhere. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The landscape had been blown out by so many stacks of C4 and TNT that Tommy could barely recognize it as Overworld land at all. Grass was as rare as diamonds, and trees no longer grew on the stone and obsidian floor. The pounding heat from the sun was the only thing still pushing Tommy forward. As long as daylight still shined, he would continue on. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, his eyes grew blurry. His throat was parched and his legs were shaky in pain. His back was sore from lugging the heavy backpack all day. He couldn’t go on like this for very long....he had to find a safe place to stop. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just as he was about to lay down and dig a hole for himself, he spotted something moving in the distance. It stood on two legs, and moved like a human. It was too far away to see properly, and with his blurry eyes Tommy couldn’t make out any defining details anyway. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the figure in the distance saw him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It began walking towards him on definitely human legs. It wore a black suit and 3D glasses. No armor or weapons to be seen. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It eventually reached him. It-no, <em>he</em>-put a hand on his back and assessed his condition. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, buddy. You okay?” His voice was on younger side, but not as young as Tommy. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“-M fine, just thirsty.” Tommy managed to croak out. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh come on, you look like you’re about to collapse of heat stroke. Come back to my place, I’ll help you out.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If Tommy had been lucid enough, he’d have recognized the charlatan’s honeyed tongue and silvered words. It was the same tone of voice Tommy himself used to use when he was still in his scamming days. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He let himself be half dragged half walked to the stranger’s base. It was cool there, and the chair he was sat in offered blessed rest. He blacked out, just happy to be somewhere safe and cold. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy blinked open his eyes to find himself in the stranger’s place. The ceiling was made of crude stone bricks, and the floor out of birch wood. He lifted his head to find it barren of most homely things, and he only saw a table littered with various food items. And the one who rescued him was lounging in another chair, across from him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great, you’re awake!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The man ran over to him and shook him a little. Like he was trying to examine his response time to outside stimuli. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can you feel everything alright? Can you focus your eyes on me?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy tried to follow the stranger’s instructions and focus his gaze on the man’s face. His eyes thankfully obeyed. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was greeted by the manic grin of a young adult no older than 18. He was wearing 3D glasses, and a large headset that covered his shaved head. He also had a microphone pointed towards his mouth. His suit was slick and fancy, but it was clearly a knock off of a much more prestigious brand. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m good man, you can get off me now.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, sorry!” The suited stranger leaned away from him and composed himself. “I’m Jack Manifold by the way, but everyone usually just calls me Thunder1408! I’ll be your handler!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jack turned away from Tommy and mumbled something into his headset microphone. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How old are you?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The question startled Tommy. Why in the hell would he ask something like that just after rescuing him? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, 16. Why?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Manifold murmured again into his microphone, and then listened for awhile. Another manic expression spread onto his face, and he clapped his hands loudly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh awesome! This is great-you’re perfect! Name? What’s your name?” He hurried asked. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tommy. But I usually go by TommyInnit.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay Innit, let’s get you up and running! Your heat stroke was only minor, so you should be physically stable enough to handle yourself in the ring!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now this <em>really</em> confused Tommy.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the hell? What ring? Where are you taking me?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jack smiled lopsidedly. “I’m taking you to the Fight Club! You should be excited bro, other newbies would <em>kill</em> to have this chance!” He pushed Tommy to the base’s exit and gripped his shoulders tightly. “We move the Club around periodically to avoid griefing, and you just so happened to stumble upon it when we were just setting it up! We’ve been losing participants lately, and you’re just who we’ve been waiting for!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was still trying to mentally process the fact that he’d found an underground fight club when he heard that last part. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, what? I didn’t sign up to fight in your ring! You can’t just force me to-“ </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We can do whatever we want with you, Innit.” Manifold’s voice was low and deadly in his ear. “You’re a newbie, no armor, weapons, or crystals to your name. The older folk around here would <em>gladly</em> run a sword through you and pick your bones dry for their sick amusement. They might even <em>enslave</em> you, if it strikes their fancy. I’ve seen it happen more than once. So if you want to stay alive and happy, then I suggest you participate like a good little gladiator. Who knows, you might even get something out of it!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fuck. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fuck <em>fuck. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This was <em>really bad</em>. He had to figure out what to do soon, or else. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Techno had trained Tommy since the first time his little brother had picked up a toy sword. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">He had begged and squealed to be trained in the ways of the warrior, and Techno had often spotted him hiding in the bushes while he sparred with his twin. Tommy had that envious twinkle in his eye, like he wanted nothing more than to be as skilled with the blade as his big brother. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">So eventually Techno gave in and showed Tommy the proper sword fighting form. He ran him through the motions, and drilled him on all his positions. He taught Tommy the human body’s weakest points, and how to exploit them effectively in battle. He schooled him on all types of weapons, from the elegant sword to the brutal axe. He built up Tommy’s muscle mass and exercised his reflexes until they were utterly perfect and lightning quick. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Still, Tommy was not satisfied. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">He pushed Techno for more, more training and more drills. He questioned every lesson, and asked how does this move work, why does this particular weapon do well against this specific person? It was tiring for Techno, who was used to a more slow and steady environment. Tommy’s sheer determination and dedication was </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">astounding</span>
  <em>
    <span class="s1">, and if Techno wasn’t careful, Tommy would surpass him. His little brother who had been training since he was 6, now about to turn 16, had learned more in 10 years then Techno had learned in 17. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">But still, Tommy was never confidant. He would boast about his skills and knowledge, but he was never truly genuine. Techno could see the fear and crippling doubt underneath all his bravado. He still believed he was less than his brother, even though he could challenge him in combat and not crumble instantly under Techno’s sheer power. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Techno couldn’t help him with that, no matter how much he desperately wanted to. Tommy had to reach high self-esteem and confidence himself for it to truly sink in. He was a great warrior, but to recognize that, he had to reach the next level of understanding. The next maturity level. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And when Techno received the news of Tommy’s disappearance...he shuddered. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy had reached the next level. But this wasn’t what Techno had ever intended. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The ‘ring’ Jack Manifold spoke of was a squared off pit. It had been shaped quickly and crudely by eager hands, but that wasn’t what drew Tommy’s attention first. What did that was the sheer number of people. There were so many crowding around; some were in the stands, waiting for the matches to start. Some were milling around just above him, talking with each other or grabbing refreshments. Others were at a board, laying down bets on who they favored to win each round and who would make it to the finals. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He saw his own face on the board. And people were betting on him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Judging on how many diamonds were in his corner, not many thought he would last even a single round. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Manifold poked him in the back. “Hey, form up. We’re going to talk to the Administrator now. He has a few things to say before you jump in the arena.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy snapped back to attention and started sweating in anticipation. He tried to keep himself composed as they marched through the throngs of people towards the center stage, but it was difficult. He didn’t want to meet the leader of this twisted enterprise, much less be an active participant in it. But he couldn’t do anything about it now. He just had to make sure that he didn’t make his situation any worse. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Manifold stepped ahead of him suddenly and ran to greet someone. He dropped into a pleasant and silky tone; it must be the Admin of the club. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“-and I’d like you to meet our fresh blood, TommyInnit! Tommy, this is Forceken, the founder of the Fight Club!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Forceken was straight backed, slender, and tall. His suit was a dramatic mix of black and white, and beautifully crafted chains crisscrossed his body. An odd figure to be certain, but an imposing one all the same. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His face was kind, however. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello, TommyInnit. I’m so pleased you managed to make it to tonight’s event! Has my agent explained everything thoroughly enough for your liking?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His voice was silky smooth, like Jack’s, but softer and less rough around the edges. It relaxed Tommy slightly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um, no actually. I’d like to know how many fights I have to do, and what I get if I win.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy tried to keep his cool. If he lost it in front of Jack Manifold and the Administrator, who knows what could happen to him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Forceken smiled. “Of course. We mandate that each newbie fight against 3 individual opponents a night, but of course they may do as many as they like. And if you win a round, you receive one shulker box full of loot and gear. These prizes are highly coveted in the wider spawn region, so I would be sure to stash them away in an ender chest afterward. You never know when someone could get jealous of your winnings.” He winked at Tommy after saying that. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, thank you so much for your time, illustrious Administrator! I really must get Tommy ready for the fights ahead of him!” Jack began to shuffle him off, away from the Admin and the crowd that had begun to gather around him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I look forward to seeing how you do.” That remark was clearly directed at Tommy. The founder gave him one more amused smirk before turning around to climb up his personal throne, which doubled as a watching station. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great job, Innit! Now we can get to the fun part!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Manifold pushed him into the squared pit. He also dug around in his jacket pocket before producing a <em>Totem of Undying. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here you go. When you face your opponents for the night, remember that you need to pop their Totems to win. Once they’re on the brink of death, the Totem in their hand will activate and bring them back, but it’ll be gone. That’s how you know you’ve concluded the fight. Got that?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy nodded his head, still too stunned to say a word. Tommy had never heard of Totems of Undying being used so flippantly, and without reverence or respect. It was like they were almost <em>toys</em> to Jack. Back in his old home, they were treated like the invaluable and powerful items they were, not like a means to an end. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The people in this new land were <em>fucked up</em>. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before he could curse them out more in his head, a furious pounding started. Tommy jerked up and looked around. The players in the stands were thumping their heavy diamond boots on the floor, in breathless anticipation of the upcoming blood sport. They raised their enchanted swords in the air, hollering with an animalistic glee. They looked like hellish demons to Tommy. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The first match of the night will be TommyInnit versus Cyro. Both newbies, and both naked with only their wits and fists to help them now! Who will come out on top? Only they can decide!” Forceken bellowed from his throne, the same predatory glee as his attendees clear on his face. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The person he was supposed to fight, Cyro, came out of the shadows. He was a beefy man, with a small head and giant hands. He only wore a tank top and shorts, but that was enough to terrify Tommy out of his mind. How in the Overworld was he supposed to beat this guy?? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cyro didn’t give him much time to figure it out. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He charged Tommy, and roared like a lion. Tommy dogged out of the way of his initial lunge, but the fist in his face was another matter. It caught him in the arm, and bruised almost instantly. <em>Shit. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy returned fire with a punch of his own, but it landed significantly softer then intended. He was never going to win like this. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His opponent launched another attack, and this time Tommy was ready for it. He ducked under Cyro’s huge arms and dove for his feet. He scratched at his tree trunk like legs with his sharp nails, and that finally caused some reaction. Cyro yelled in rage and struggled to reach Tommy. But he wasn’t quite flexible enough to grab hold of him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He used this advantage to slip out the other side and jump onto his enemy’s massive back. He wrapped his arms around Cyro’s neck and pressed down as hard as he could. He dug his nails in whenever he could manage, drawing some blood in the process. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The combination of continuous struggle and lack of oxygen proved to be an effective strategy. Rapidly Cyro’s strength lessened, and he couldn’t pull Tommy off in time. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gasped his last breath, and the Totem he was clutching in his off hand popped. It wrapped Cyro in otherworldly green and yellow sparks, and returned to him some of his previous strength. He bellowed in anger and threw Tommy off of his back. But it was too late. Tommy had won his first round of the night. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The crowd erupted into violent noise at this unexpected outcome. Some screamed in fury, while others laughed in triumph. Others still were sat gaping at the gangly teenager that had managed to defeat a giant like Cyro. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It sent a flurry of emotions down Tommy’s spine. He was shaking with fear, yet exuberant that he had won. He was anxious about the next fight, yet pumped up beyond all belief that he had just choked out someone with no mercy. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He almost missed Forceken coming up behind him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey kid. Good fight! To the winners go the spoils.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He handed Tommy a black shulker box. It was heavy with all the items it carried within it. He had won it. Fair and square. <em>Holy shit. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh and look. I see more people betting on you!” Ken pointed to the betting pool. Tommy followed his finger and did indeed notice more high level players gathering at the betting pots. They were tossing their diamonds in his favor. <em>His favor. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was too stunned to respond to the founder. He was busy swelling with pride. He actually did it! He won, and got his reward! Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all! Maybe he could learn to like it here. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In this unforgiving and cruel new world, maybe Tommy could carve out a place just for himself. Just maybe, he could make his name known and feared like never before. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Yeah. He liked the sound of that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you couldn’t tell, Tommy is in 2b2t. :) </p>
<p>(and most of the lore i include in this fic is shit that actually happens on the server lol)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Autumn Act I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tw: blood and injury! tommy fights some fools in this one kids! </p>
<p>(and just as a quick note, i ADORE all your comments and feedback!!! i read all of them and i love hearing back from y’all. it inspires me so much to keep writing this story!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And so, the summer days melted away. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy kept fighting in Forceken’s Fight Club. He attended every single Friday that they held the event, and moved along with the rest of the staff whenever they picked up to migrate away from the griefers that would inevitably try to wreck their fun. He got used to their nomadic lifestyle, and learned the customs of the society he found himself in quite quickly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He also learned several other key parts of the culture. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Apparently, Griefers were similar to bandits, except that they sometimes roamed alone, and only brought destruction and ruin with them. Their sole purpose was to destroy any buildings and remnants of civilization in their path, regardless of history or importance. In fact, the more important a build was, the more likely the griefers were to attack it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy already despised them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he didn’t dwell too much on the hateful thugs who would destroy all his people had worked for. Why should he, when he had a match to win? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smirked at the skinny newbie cowering in front of him. He had been picked up off the highway like Tommy had been, but that made no difference now. He was still a newbie, fresh meat to the land, and it was only natural that Tommy give him his initiation proper. No newbie was safe, they all had to go through the ring of fire like the rest of them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That was the first lesson Tommy was taught by the older folk he encountered in the Fight Club. Newbies had to be forged in hell and brimstone to be truly ready for the journey that awaited them. The strong survived, and the weak perished under the strong’s boot. After weeks in the Club, Tommy knew that lesson well. He had it memorized, and now he was putting it into practice once more. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on Newbie, <em>hit me! </em>You can do it!” Tommy taunted the poor newbie. He waved his Totem in the air wildly, uncaring that he was flagrantly disrespecting the magikal artifact that was keeping him alive in the face of death. It was simply a tool to be used, nothing more. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Cowards don’t get the shulker box, Newbie!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At this, the crowd went wild. They loved Tommy’s sharp tongue and boiling wit. He was their mouthpiece, and they couldn’t get enough.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They especially loved it when he beat the ever loving shit out of some new kid. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was done waiting. He threw a punch at the newbie, which was dodged. He laughed and threw another, which landed. Another and another came at the newbie; some were blocked and some were not. It was pathetic, truly. The new kid couldn’t even muster up the courage to yell or scream in rage. He only cried in terror. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s bloodlust wasn’t satisfied when the newbie popped his Totem and lay on the floor unmoving. It wasn’t even quenched when the crowd roared their approval and shouted his name in reverence. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wanted something exciting. Something challenging. He wanted to shed worthy blood, not just face off against some newbies that barely knew how to count to ten and hold an axe properly. He could tell that the crowd was also feeling this way, considering the bloodthirsty screams were less intense than they usually were. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So imagine his surprise when a new challenger requested to fight Tommy specifically. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He clapped his hands together in anticipation. He hadn’t had a challenger like this in....so long. He didn’t exactly know the amount of days, it had been so long since he kept up on the time. It could’ve been months for all he cared. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And in all that time spent in the Fight Club, he had completely forgotten about his family. He hadn’t spared a single thought for them, for how Wilbur would surely cry for him and how Techno would stare blankly at the wall in shock. He had been so blissfully ignorant of Phil’s paternal agony at his youngest son running away. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And he would remain ignorant of all that. He had no desire to feel anything for them; now all his attention was devoted to surviving and thriving in this bloody world of anarchy and strength. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His new opponent was a sight to beyond. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was SalC1, an old timer of not just the Fight Club, but the land itself. This was one of the older players that Jack Manifold had warned him about so long ago. He was one of the most skilled, most prominent Independents that anyone had ever seen; the man basically constituted his own faction, even though he did belong to a number of smaller player groups. So, Tommy was understandably nervous. Being challenged by the likes of him was an honor so high it was unreal. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had to perform at the best of his ability. He had to show everyone that he was the ruler of this ring, the Newbie Killer, <em>the Bloodletter. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Forceken did his usual speech, announcing the combatants and snarling in glee as the rest of the crowd cheered for their chosen participant. Most of them had shown their support for Tommy, raising their swords for him and screaming<em> “Bloodletter!” “Demon of the Pit!” “Newbie Killer!”</em> and anything and everything else they could think of.<em> “No mercy!” “Eat his heart!” “Reap his soul!” </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But despite all this overwhelming support for the blonde bloodletter, there were still some cheers for SalC1. He was an older player, after all. He would always command some loyalty from the other old ones who weren’t ready to let go of the past. One of these Sal supporters looked Tommy dead in the eye. He crossed his arms in curiosity and studied Tommy like he was an oddity to be examined in a museum. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy broke the eye contact. He wasn’t interested in some barbarous old one and his contemptuous glare. He was invested in the fight that was before him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two combatants circled each other like predators out in the wild. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, I’ve heard of you. Word is starting to get out about you, TommyInnit. People are hearing of your many triumphs in the Fight Club, and some consider you to be a hero. Doing the Devil’s holy work, eradicating the Newbie players before they can overwhelm our world.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He contemplated this. It was a compliment, oddly. He expected Sal to try and disarm him with insults or jeers, but no. Instead he was regaling him with glorious stories of his own victories. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Others want to meet you. Induct you into their factions. Have you as a front liner in their own personal turf wars. A general in their armies.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now that came as a shock. Older players wanted him in their territory? They had actually heard of his work and considered him in such high regard that they were willing to invite him into their fold? Really? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am here to warn you. Fame in this land is not necessarily always a good thing. You will be hunted down, and eventually you will be faced with an offer you cannot refuse. You will join with a faction, and be consumed by the monsters surrounding you. They will influence you, and you will become just like them, whether you want to or not. What if you become a slaver, whipping New players in camps until they bleed out without a Totem to save them? What if you become a griefer, roaming the land like a vengeful poltergeist with an unending lust for destruction?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s pride turned to ash inside his heart. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What if you join a death cult of fanatical devotees? Will you spill your own blood over and over for their wishes and your own religious fervor? What will you do, when you are inevitably faced with an offer you can’t refuse? <em>What then,</em> TommyInnit? You are already called the Bloodletter now, imagine what you will be called later.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">SalC1’s words drained the adrenaline out of Tommy’s body. He was drowning in the enormity of his implications; he almost missed it when Sal rushed him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sal’s fists were hard and heavy, and they pounded Tommy’s body in all the wrong ways. He ducked and dodged expertly out of the way, but it was hard to launch a counter attack. He had studied Tommy’s fighting style clearly, and he knew every move before he made it. Shit. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One of Tommy’s punches landed, and it drew blood from Sal’s mouth. He grinned and spat the coppery substance out. His teeth and cheeks were covered in the red stuff, and it stirred something darkly primeval within Tommy. Techno would’ve called it the Blood God’s blessing. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With an enormous burst of strength, Tommy lunged at Sal and clawed ferociously. His nails had grown wildly out of control since he had run away, and now they resembled talons. He used them as if they were blades and sliced at Sal’s exposed arms. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Blood spattered onto Tommy as he successfully pierced Sal’s skin. He distantly heard the onlooking crowd voice their deafening approval, but even that sounded so far away. He was zeroed in on the man before him, trying to block out his horrible, poisonous words. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sal attempted to wipe the blood off his face, but only smeared more onto it. His knuckles were covered in the red stuff, and not even his Totem was free of it. They both were embroiled so deep in combat that they didn’t care about anything else; the only thing that mattered now was the death of the other. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For all of SalC1’s postering and self-righteous statements earlier, he sure was looking like every bit the demon he had warned Tommy about. Malevolence glittered behind his eyes, and predatory zeal was evident across his flexing muscles. He wanted nothing more than to choke Tommy out like Tommy had so long ago to his first opponent in the pit. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he wasn’t going to let Sal have the satisfaction. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Their duel went on, and the fight just became ever more violent and cruel. They would pull on each other’s hair and viciously bite whatever limb came into range. Both were weakening considerably, but Tommy was younger and had more boundless energy than the older Sal, who was beginning to struggle to keep up with the teenager. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually Tommy had his knee to the base of Sal’s neck, his talon nails raised high over his head. Ready to strike the killing blow. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Go ahead, Bloodletter. Slit my throat, and greet your new family.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The slightest hesitation from Tommy dragged out the icy moment between them. A part of him, so deeply buried now, screamed for him to have mercy! To spare the poor defenseless man on the floor. The other part of him, so overwhelmingly loud, growled for blood, for death. He wanted to see that Totem pop into green and yellow sparks. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had made up his mind. It was so easy. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before he could bring down his judgement, a rumble shook the Fight Club’s foundations. A world shaking roar split the air, and then there was a terrible scream. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“Griefers! Scatter!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Club was a flurry of sudden motion. The diamond clad players in the stands opened their Elytras and flew away. The ones on the ground without wings sprinted to their ender chests, while the Newbies without any gear or Totems ran in every direction like headless chickens. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy got up and immediately pushed his way through to his ender chest. His shulker boxes full of loot would have Elytra wings in them, and even though he had never flown with them before, it couldn’t be too hard. It was either fly or die, and Tommy wasn’t interested in dying just yet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">CRACK. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy whipped around to see SalC1 pop his Totem on purpose. He breathed in a sigh of relief and he ripped open his ender chest. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was an Elytra, shimmering with high level enchantments. He delicately pulled it out and strapped it on. After mining up his ender chest with all his winnings, another boom rang out. The griefers had brought TNT. <em>Great, just great. </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sky became darkened with smoke from the bombs, and the infrastructure of the Fight Club began to tumble down around them. Already, the air was almost unbreathable with the ash and embers floating around; Tommy had to get out of there right that instant. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a firework rocket to propel him up, he pushed open his Elytra wings and blasted off. The cold night air rushed to greet him, and he felt frozen. Not only was the chill from the sky dreadfully intense, but the sight from down below was horrifying: the Club was now completely collapsed. Craters littered the ground, and only obsidian blocks remained untouched from the explosions. Some End Crystals floated where they had been placed, an ominous Griefer calling card. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He heard a chorus of zealous whoops from beside him. Some experienced players flew next to him, their diamond armor shimmering brightly in the freezing night. They tossed looted items amongst themselves, and occasionally they would drop a stick of TNT down onto the decimated ground below. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">These weren’t just any experienced players. They were the Griefers! </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy instantly tried to bank hard left and get away from them, but unfortunately they noticed his escape attempt. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, where you going bro? Don’t have any TNT left? Don’t worry, I got plenty.” The guy closest to Tommy tossed him some unlit stacks of TNT and a flint and steel. He winked at him and gestured to the land below. The further away they flew from the Flight Club site, the more recognizable the world got as normal Overworld. “This shit is too nice, don’t you think? It could use a massive overhaul! Let’s go boys!” All the griefers dived, whooping their delight all the way down. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In a matter of moments, booms and lightning cracks rang out. The land split in two with a death cry and gave way to the Griefer’s magnificent destruction. There was a morbid beauty in this merry band of Griefers, Tommy realized. They had bonded together over such devastation and ruination, and treated each other as brothers in arms as they mercilessly wiped away other players’ hopes and dreams with their bombs. Tommy could see their tight-knit unit converge for a moment, a split second of pure contentment between all of them. They hugged and high fived, with laughs of joy shared amongst them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was about to blast himself off with a rocket again, when he saw the head Griefer turn his head to look at him. The same guy who had handed him the TNT. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Even in the whipping wind, Tommy could see the leader’s brutal shark grin. He was smiling at him, asking a silent question as Tommy flew away. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The last Tommy ever saw of him was the ravenous expression on his face as he raised his arms to the ultimate destruction he and his mates had caused.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Autumn Act II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The wind started to pick up as Tommy barreled through the sky. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It pushed harshly against Tommy’s Elytra and made it hard to steer. He already didn’t entirely know how to fly these things, and the damned wind wasn’t making it any easier. But regardless, he had to keep going forward. He had to put as much sheer distance as possible between him and his old family. The Fight Club had helped him move erratically and evade capture, but now that they were gone....it was time to step up. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy couldn’t afford weakness. Not now, not ever. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">That was easier said then done. Rain started to pour down from the clouds, and that made Elytra flight extremely treacherous. His wings would randomly seize up or clog with ice and he would lose altitude rapidly before steadying out. It was a chill inducing way to travel, that was for sure. He had to land soon and make camp. It would be safe to travel once the rain stopped beating down. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He maneuvered himself into a gliding position, and zoomed towards the bombed out floor. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">With a graceless landing, he grabbed his pickaxe and began to mine out a hiding hole for the night. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was a crude hole, but it served its purpose. It was big enough for a sleeping bag and ender chest, so it was fine enough for Tommy. Besides, he slept in worse conditions with the Fight Club, so he had no reason to complain. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Once everything was properly set up, Tommy took some time to study his winnings from the Club. He never actually peeked into all of the shulker boxes he had earned over his many weeks with them. So why not now? </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The black shulker box he had been given after his first ever fight had a full set of enchanted diamond armor. Every piece of the set had Protection IV and Mending, along with additional buffs like Respiration III and Thorns III. He had come into possession of top level gear; he would be virtually invincible while wearing it! End Crystals could still kill him, since it didn’t have blast protection, but still! Against any ordinary weapon or Newbie, he was unbeatable!</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">And that wasn’t all. The shulker also contained stacks of enchanted golden apples and steaks, so he would never go hungry! Man, those Fight Club admins were rich! They gave these out like candy! </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Moving on from the black shulker, he cracked open a pink one. It had stacks and stacks of End Crystals and Obsidian, for crystal combat. That would be very useful against other experienced players who knew how to fight properly. And there were also stacks of TNT, but Tommy willingly passed his eyes over those. He didn’t care to remember what had happened just a few hours ago. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">A red shulker had only Totems in it. Well, it looked like death wouldn’t be coming for him any time soon. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The light blue one had a spare set of armor, and a fishing rod. The rod had maxed out enchantments, along with the other tools. There was a pickaxe with Silk Touch, Unbreaking III, Efficiency V, and a shovel with those same enchantments. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Overall, he was absolutely stacked! </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">So why did he feel like shit? </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He felt terrible, crouching there in his dirty hole. Blood had gotten underneath his talon-nails, and grime was the only thing that he could feel on his body other than his thin and raggedy clothes. On top of that, he was drenched in cold water from the rain, and he was shaking violently from the chill. He would catch a cold at this rate, and if he got sick now he might be stuck in one place. And if he knew anything about his new existence, it was that staying in one place for too long doomed you to a miserable fate. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He couldn’t afford that for obvious reasons. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">So, Tommy reluctantly stammered out of his hole and scrubbed his whole body clean in the rain. He washed his back and face of all the dirt and muck, and he combed through his hair to unknot all the tangles. Once he was satisfied, he went back inside and bundled up in a spare blanket. He had to take extra precautions tonight; he would layer himself in multiple blankets and sleep as cozily as possible. If he caught a sickness, the jig would be up. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">So sleep he did. Or at least he <em>tried</em> to sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The rain continued to beat down, and thunder and lightning soon joined into the cacophony. It was the loudest, most intense storm he had ever been through, and he was scared. He would </span>
  <span class="s2">never </span>
  <span class="s1">admit it, but he had always weathered storms like these with his family. Phil would let him lay nestled in his feathery wings, and Wilbur would try to make him laugh with ridiculous stories. Techno would tease him, and try to distract him from his fear with sparring. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But his family weren’t here. They didn’t care about him in the first place. All that kindness they had shown him....a grand deception. A big fat </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">lie. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">And so, bitter anger was the last thing he felt before exhaustion claimed him. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He awoke to a heart stopping crackle. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Lightning was striking at an unnatural rate. Thunder rumbled like a herd of heavy footed animals, and some flashes of light penetrated his rocky hiding hole. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His curiosity overwrote his fear in that moment. His childish heart had to know what was causing the mega storm. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He pushed a rock out of the way and peered outside into the rain. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Lightning was crashing down in a heavily concentrated area. It was piercing the ground in an almost intentional way, like it had a master that it was simply obeying. Like it wasn’t a natural world event. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy looked closer. The lightning wasn’t coming from the sky at all! It was being summoned from a fixed point! </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was way too dark and stormy for Tommy to see the fixed point clearly, but he could just barely make out a.....</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">No. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It wasn’t a single fixed point at all. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy saw two glowing <em>red eyes</em> in the middle of the lightning. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">In a swift motion, the rock that had fallen away was put right back in position. He covered his face in his hands, unwilling to think about what he had just seen. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">There weren’t any eyes in that storm. That was <em>impossible</em>, no one could survive such a thing. No one could summon a giant hurricane to themself and command it like that. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">There was no god in the storm.<em> There was no god in the storm. THERE WAS NO GOD IN THE STORM. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He tried to repeat the phrase over and over as he squished himself into bed. He turned it over in his mind until the words mashed together into one big mess of noise. If he just thought about it enough, that would surely make it come true. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">There was no god in the storm. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">When he awoke for the second time, the natural disaster had finally stopped raging outside. Everything was quiet, and Tommy could actually breathe easy. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He packed his essentials into the survival backpack and then stuffed the skulkers and Elytra wings in the ender chest. When he was satisfied that everything was tucked away nice and snug, he dug himself out of the hiding hole. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">With his new diamond armor, the trip out from spawn was both better and worse. The finely crafted armor protected him from the elements and granted him imperviousness to most natural dangers, but at the same time it was heavy. It weighed him down and put a strain on his already sore muscles. If the journey wasn’t hard enough, it certainly was now. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But, even with its drawbacks, the armor helped Tommy feel safe. It was more than enough to soothe his fluttering heart and twitchy hands. The <em>thing</em> from last night couldn’t get at him now, not with his maxed out enchantments and weapons. He looked just like every other experienced traveler, so what was there to be scared of? </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">So he walked, armor clanking rhythmically. For many hours he spaced out and kept his eyes on the horizon. Occasionally lava casts would loom over him, and great obsidian structures would come into view. They would vary from straight edged towers to swirling sky symbols. Even a few letters and words were formed out of the black blocks. It was like a puzzle, and if Tommy put all the pieces together he would get a full picture of the world’s culture clash. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He was busy deciphering the meaning of a zig zagging sky formation when he saw it. A human shape was circling him like a bird of prey. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy tried to pick up speed to lose it, but it was no good. The figure tracked his every move and glided down to meet him. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was in fact a man, and an odd one. He wore a regal set of armor, and sported several Totems woven into a bracelet. He carried his ender chest on his back along with his Elytra, which looked to be modified in several unknown ways. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But the most interesting part was that Tommy recognized him. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He was the old one that had analyzed Tommy at the match against SalC1. The bald headed man with an amused gleam in the eye. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You’re the Bloodletter. You beat Sal in a match.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t expect the old one to remember him in turn. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, but it was more like a draw. What with the Griefer raid and all.” Tommy scratched the back of his neck nervously. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hah! That may be true, but I think we both know who <em>really</em> won.” The man’s voice was strong and firm, with a strange accent that just slightly dragged out his words. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry, but who are you? You kinda just popped in on me and I have no idea why.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The old man smiled, but not quite in a friendly way. “Fit, that’s my name. And I honestly didn’t mean to interrupt your travels but I couldn’t help but notice you down there. Why aren’t you taking the nether highways?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“The....nether highways?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Fit laughed loudly. “You mean you don’t know about the nether highways? You’ve been here for how many months and you don’t know?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy struggled to find his voice. “Okay man, for the majority of my time here I’ve been fighting people! Why would I ever need to know about these highways?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Everyone needs to know about them. They’re the main method of travel for any competent nomad. If that’s what you are, then you need them to survive. Without them then you’re going to inevitably encounter others, and they might not be so nice as me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy got the impression that Fit might still be one of the ‘not so nice’ ones, even if his words argued against it. His low rumbling voice certainly gave him that feeling. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“But don’t worry, I’ll show you. Let’s just go through a nether portal, and you’ll see what I mean.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He gestured around. There were so many portals to choose from. Some were huge and others were tiny. Tommy walked up to a normal sized one, seeing it as the safest bet. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Fit stood beside him. “When we go through, you might be a little shocked at what you see. But I encourage an <em>open mind</em>, if you know what I mean.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was about to inquire further, but before he could get a word in Fit pushed him roughly into the portal’s purple swirls. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He popped out the other side coughing in rage. Portals always startled him on good days. Fit walked gracefully out after him. He smoothly adjusted his diamond plating and turned to look Tommy in the eye. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“This is 2b2t’s nether.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy took that as a cue to look around. He almost jumped thirty feet in astonishment. The entire dimension within eye’s reach was completely and utterly destroyed! Lava lakes far below where they were standing bubbled and frothed violently. Patches of floating ground dropped veins into the abyss, and cobblestone and obsidian stood in stark contrast to the red tones of the native netherack. It was an eye sore that Tommy couldn’t bear to look at. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Magnificent isn’t it? We had a perfectly normal nether once, but all the infighting and Griefer activity here reduced it to the sight it is today. But, the highways still stand! And because of this dimension’s unusual temporal properties, they can transport you to where you’re going much faster!” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Fit started moving along the treacherous path, and Tommy reluctantly followed. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“They stretch out from the nether’s center, going in each major cardinal direction. Pick a highway and move along it. When you’ve walked for a long time, then just step into another portal and you’ll be much farther out in the overworld. Much less pointless walking!” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">They reached a square obsidian platform that Tommy guessed was the highway hub. It had obsidian walkways going off in every direction, and he could see smaller paths splintering off in every way possible. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh yeah, there are also skinnier ways that you could go if you encounter any obstacles in yourtravels. But only go on those if you’re <em>confidant</em> it’s not dangerous. Those are the surest way to get ambushed by nether pirates or assholes looking for some entertainment.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy shuddered to think of what ‘nether pirates’ would do to him if they caught him. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“But, I think that just about covers it. You’ll be on your way now, won’t you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Tommy nodded, and looked up at Fit’s towering form. He had crossed his arms at some point, and was smiling expectantly, like he knew something Tommy didn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“See you around, I guess?” Tommy said as he made his move to leave on one of highways before him. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“For your sake, I hope we never meet again.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Fit, as cold as a glacier and as stoic as an obsidian tower, threw Tommy a salute that seemed more like a promise than a farewell.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Autumn Act III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After his encounter with Fit, Tommy thought his life couldn’t get any stranger. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was so wrong. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The nether highways were dotted with ruined portals, nonsensical obsidian structures, and bombed out sections of netherack. If the overworld looked like a war zone, then the nether was a post-apocalypse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He couldn’t even see any monsters. No zombie pigmen wandered the wreckage, and no ghasts cried in the distance. Everything was dead or in the process of dying; no wonder it was considered safer than above ground. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But as Tommy kept trekking forward, he felt a rare emotion settle in his stomach: boredom. There was nothing to decipher or puzzle out in the nether; no enormous builds or lava casts to stare at. Everything there was utilitarian and barren, and the same shade of red and brown. The only difference in color was the black obsidian highway under his feet and the occasional cobblestone or wood block on the horizon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Static crackled in the back of Tommy’s mind as he walked. What he wouldn’t give for a little <em>variety. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An explosion boomed in the distance. A growl followed it, and then a purr that bounced off the walls. It sounded very close. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy pulled up his communicator that was still wrapped tightly around his wrist. If that explosion was what he thought it was....</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The communicator’s tactical read out displayed his worst fear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Tommyinnit has made the advancement Withering Heights. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">DANGER. BOSS MONSTER WITHIN 300 FEET. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A fucking Wither? This wasn’t the kind of excitement Tommy was hoping for! </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The wall directly north of him blew outwards, and the undead mob poked itself through. It swiveled one of its three heads to stare Tommy down. A deathly cold radiated from the Wither, and Tommy knew that if he came within touching distance he would crumble like sand in the wind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a trembling hand, he dug out an End Crystal from his backpack. Almost on autopilot, he threw it down onto the obsidian ground and pulled out his bow. The Wither flew forward after him, not caring about the glowing crystal underneath it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An arrow pierced the End Crystal, and it blew itself apart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy only heard a persistent ringing sound as he was flung back into a netherack wall. The Wither had taken some serious damage, but was still hovering towards him with a menacing spark igniting around it. One of its heads spat out a skull-like projectile that homed in on Tommy with terrifying speed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Luckily Tommy was still lucid enough to roll out of the way and the skull jammed into the hard wall beside him. But, ever determined to snuff his life out, the Wither fired another projectile at him. This time Tommy deflected it back at the monster; the knockback enchantment on his sword proving to be useful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Wither shook in anger. Clearly it hadn’t expected so much resistance from a small human child. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They fought for a long time. Tommy backed up into the obsidian highway, refusing to be cornered a second time. He traded hits with the boss mob, deflecting its own projectiles into its face, and slashing at it with the enchanted sword when he got the chance. He only used a sparing amount of End Crystals, since they had a high chance of damaging him along with the Wither. His arms were already covered in blast burns and shrapnel cuts; he had no desire to earn more from his own weapons. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As he scraped down the Wither’s remaining health, his mind wandered to the first player versus player battle he had ever witnessed in this new world. They had used Crystals so often, and felt almost nothing as the blasts exploded around them. How could they do it so expertly, while he was struggling to take on one unintelligent monster? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A cold whisper hissed in his ear. He jerked towards the sound and saw the Wither finally crumbling under all the stress. One final End Crystal finished it off, and Tommy allowed himself a sigh of relief. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had engaged Withers in combat before, but always with his family and in a controlled environment. Never spontaneously, and with such different equipment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His fighting style was evolving according to the situation, and in several months of self-imposed exile he had improved in battle considerably! He was strong enough to fight a Wither in single combat, and beat it without aid from anything else! Tommy felt a stirring of pride in his heart, and didn’t stop it from warming his freezing hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the walk along the positive x highway was relatively peaceful. He finally saw some zombie pigmen milling about, but they looked scared and out of place. They avoided eye contact with him as he passed, and ushered their children away. Odd. Usually the undead pigmen always stood their ground against anything breathing. They abhorred life but wouldn’t engage with it unless provoked. These pigmen looked grateful that he had passed by them peacefully and without signs of aggression. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What the fuck? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That wasn’t just strange, it was <em>unnatural.</em> The undead were not supposed to fear the living, it just wasn’t the right and correct order of things. He should’ve been uneasy around the walking reminders of decay and death, but instead he just felt pity. Slimy, sickening pity for the monsters of the nether that had clearly been abused by the travelers of times past. Abused by players who looked just like him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy stopped that train of thought before it could crashing into a full blown revelation. He didn’t want to compare himself to the rest of the nomadic folk; they were clearly monsters who wore a thin veil of human clothing. Tommy didn’t associate with that kind of crowd, and he certainly wasn’t one of them by any means. <strike><em>He didn’t kill for sport, he didn’t relish in pointless punishment, and he definitely didn’t enjoy the senseless destruction of the natural world under his feet. He couldn’t possibly be one of the villains that haunted children’s dreams at night, that just wasn’t who he was deep down inside. </em></strike></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <span class="s1">Right? </span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He traveled miles and miles more before he saw anything of interest again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A portal spat out a human shaped mass right in Tommy’s path. It quickly untangled itself from off the floor and looked around frantically. Once it spotted Tommy, it immediately dashed behind him and held up its shield. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Where am I?” Its voice had a distinctly male inflection. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh you’re in the nether, mate. I would’ve thought that’d be pretty obvious.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The figure behind Tommy scoffed. “This doesn’t look like any nether I’ve ever seen. I meant what world am I in?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“2b2t. I believe that’s what it’s called.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A momentary pause. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can you help me get out of here? They’ll be coming through any minute and I’m not doing too well right now.” The guy’s voice was shaky and lightheaded sounding, like he had been sprinting for a long time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy turned to look at his new companion. His armor was made of hastily crafted iron, and haphazardly pulled over a lime green hoodie that was torn and burned in many places. He sported fingerless gloves and a backpack very similar to Tommy’s. But easily the most striking feature of the man was his expensive looking porcelain mask. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It covered his whole face, and was devoid of all emotion. Except for two black dots and a simple curve to indicate a creepy yet elegant smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait, who’s coming through? Are they dangerous?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy didn’t get an answer, as three fully armored figures came bursting out of the portal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Two ordinary human males and a demon made of pure darkness drew their swords and advanced, pure determination etched on their features. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dream, stop cowering and fight us!” The man in the bandana yelled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey you, get out of the way! He’s our kill!” The guy in the goggles joined in. He cradled his weapon like he would’ve enjoyed nothing more than running Tommy through with it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy raised one eyebrow in restrained disbelief. Were they seriously trying to intimidate him into moving? Him? He had the fully enchanted diamond gear, and they had the paper thin iron armor that would’ve given way at the slightest breeze. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No. He wasn’t going to be moving any time soon. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think so. If anyone’s going to be killing this Newbie, it’ll be me.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Instead of drawing his sword and meeting them in fair combat, he chose to pull out an End Crystal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The look in their eyes was priceless. Delicious terror sparked to life within them as he threw down the crystal and drew back his bow. Fire licked his face as he let the arrow fly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was ready for the crystal’s blast this time. He tackled Dream to the ground and protected them both with his shield. The hunters didn’t react quite so quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The goggles one had been closest to the blast, so he went flying. Bandana Man tried to catch him but he too was in the way of the ferocious crystal attack. The only hunter not critically injured was the Demon. He spared one last withering glare at Tommy and Dream before diving in to help his fallen comrades. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t worry, I won’t actually kill you.” Tommy said to the shaking Dream. “I just said that to intimidate them. Thought it’d be cool.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy took point and gestured to his new companion. “Come on, we should probably leave the nether! They’ll be back with a vengeance if we don’t escape now!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream nodded curtly and broke into a run behind Tommy. They found the nearest working portal and dashed through it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The other side was surprisingly....normal. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The overworld didn’t have any obvious TNT craters and unnatural mega structures littering it. <em>Trees</em> stood tall and confidant and there was <em>grass!</em> Actual grass that wasn’t rough dirt! These were the first signs of thriving wilderness he had seen in ages! </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy laughed out loud and hugged a tree trunk. He took a deep breath and smelled the forest scents that he had so dearly missed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh....are you okay?” Green hoodie guy’s voice sounded off from behind him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh right, he had company. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just haven’t seen actual greenery in so long! Everything’s been cobblestone or obsidian recently.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, that makes sense. Sorry. Well, my name is Dream. Thanks for saving me back there! I thought I was a goner for sure!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream’s voice was tinny and cheerful. Tommy liked it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No problem. You just kinda burst through that portal in front of my face, and what was I supposed to do? Let you get murdered by three Newbies in iron armor?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream inclined his head. “Newbies? Those hunters are anything but new! They’ve been tracking me down for months now, and I just can’t seem to shake them.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy frowned, unsure of how to explain. “Yeah, but things work....<em>differently</em> here. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, it matters how <em>stacked</em> you are. How much armor you have, and how many Totems you can pile onto one arm. Shit like that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy couldn’t see Dream’s expression behind the mask, but he got a suspicious feeling that he was staring in shock. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Go on. You’ve got me interested.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As Tommy led Dream into the woods, they talked about the strange land they were now both a part of.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>winter is coming :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Interlude I: Sleepy Boys’ Lament</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first thing Phil did was check Tommy’s communicator. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had a parental watchdog installed on every one of his sons’ devices, and it allowed him to check locations and statuses. And when he pulled up his own communicator to see Tommy’s details, what he saw shocked him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was thousands of miles away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How could he have gotten so far out in just a few days? He had to have walked all day and night to make that kind of a trip. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil gathered his other children and prepared for a long journey. Tommy’s exact coordinates blipped on his communicator, but still, a nervous fluttering arose in Phil’s chest. Tommy had never made such a deliberately harmful decision like this before. Yes, he had scammed and conned, and set out with the intention of causing trouble many times in the past...but he had never run away. He had never even left the house without proper warning and although he was a rebellious teenager...he didn’t want to worry his family. He was kindhearted like that, and now that he had disappeared so suddenly and completely...</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil realized that maybe he didn’t know his youngest son at all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His room had been picked clean of all essentials, and the cooler was cleared of water bottles and non-perishables. It was evident that he had set out to survive in the wild all on his lonesome. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There hadn’t been any signs. Tommy had seemed perfectly fine up until two days ago. He hadn’t complained of anything like illness or discomfort, and his personality had suffered no obvious changes. Everything appeared so normal...</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But that should’ve been the first clue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was never “normal”. He was a busy body, always doing something or other to fill the time. He built ugly cobblestone towers, sparred with Techno, played mind games and music with Wilbur, and any combination of the three. He even bugged Phil occasionally, asking for a fly around town. He never, ever seemed satisfied with what life could give him, so he constantly searched for <em>more.</em> More skills to pick up, more people to befriend. Or antagonize. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">He had gone radio silent up until his disappearance. He didn’t pester his family for entertainment, or swear in their faces. He just...</span> <em> <span class="s2">retreated</span> </em> <span class="s1"> into himself. </span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Whatever was the cause of his sudden shift, Phil vowed that he would come home safely. If anyone had touched a hair on that blonde boy’s head, then they wouldn’t live to see either heaven or hell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur shared Phil’s sentiment. While they all prepared for the long journey ahead of them, Wil had grumbled angrily to himself. He stared darkly at the walls, clearly blaming himself for not noticing Tommy’s absence earlier. His fists clenched restlessly; he wouldn’t rest easy until Tommy was within his sights. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno was the most practical and perfunctory one of them all. He listened quietly while Wilbur ranted to him about his shortcomings as a brother, and comforted Phil when the man broke down in the living room. He was a stoic, rock solid presence amidst their grief, and for that they were incredibly grateful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But without Tommy’s chaotic gremlin energy to balance out their dynamic...it felt hollow. It felt like a gaping wound that couldn’t just be sewn up with a needle and thread. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The first leg of the journey was quiet. No one in the group wanted to be the loud, conversation starting one and fill Tommy’s shoes. Wilbur would’ve usually stepped up to the plate, but he just couldn’t force himself to do it this time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And so they walked. Through summer days and nights, they slowly but surely made their way to Tommy’s coordinates. The numbers had stopped changing and stayed in one general area; like he had decided to settle down for a while. That put a weak smile on Phil’s face. It would be much easier to keep up with him if he stopped traveling and gaining ground over them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, after a few weeks of walking, the coordinates began pushing forward once more. And at a much faster rate then before. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Soon enough, Tommy had put huge distance between himself and them. It was impossible that he was doing it all on foot; he had to have come into possession of some sort of enhanced transportation method. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They tossed ideas around. He could’ve tamed a horse and saddled it, but that wouldn’t explain the very drastic changes in altitude that his coordinates were experiencing. He would climb the y axis until he was comfortably cruising at y 100 and above. A horse wouldn’t be able to handle those sudden shifts in height. And he wasn’t riding in a boat, for the same reasons. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So that left flying machines and Elytra wings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The traditional redstone powered flying machine had gone out of style when <em>Phil</em> was a kid, so he highly doubted that Tommy would know how to build one or even commandeer one. He might not even know what one looked like. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An Elytra it was, then. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But how had Tommy come into possession of such a coveted item? Elytra wings were only found in End City ships, the most dangerous and rare structure in perhaps the whole world. They weren’t cheap to buy off a traveling merchant either. They usually went for stacks and stacks of diamonds and gold, and Tommy hadn’t brought that much valuable mineral material with him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How the hell was he even flying it anyway? Phil never taught him how to use one, and they usually required intense study and practice to maneuver safely and correctly. Either Tommy had strapped his communicator to a bird and let it fly, or....</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had learned how to use Elytra wings in record time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur and Techno looked at him with big, surprised eyes when he suggested that Tommy had worked his way around an Elytra. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s impossible, Tommy doesn’t even know his cardinal directions! He’d break his neck instantly with one of those things!” Wilbur exclaimed, his short temper coming through. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not that impossible if you consider fight or flight response.” Techno interjected, his rational mind already working through the kinks. “He could’ve been under stress, and instinctively knew what to do to keep himself alive.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil hummed in agreement. Tommy was quite a natural at listening to his instincts, even to the point of not caring what his logical mind said. He trusted what felt right in the moment, and that often led to more than a few annoying moments. But, it also likely saved his life, so Phil wasn’t complaining. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We gotta start picking up the pace then. We can’t afford to let him lose us.” Phil’s voice was dark and full of unspoken consequences. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If they didn’t catch up to him soon, then they ran the risk of never seeing him again. And that just wasn’t an acceptable option. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Autumn began to set in, and the trio found themselves a truly terrible sight to behold. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A lava cast. It stretched up into the clouds, and a chill crawled down Phil’s back upon seeing it. This was no ordinary player made structure. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a warning, to all who may come across it. A monument to the disaster that may await travelers who venture beyond that point. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The worst part of it was that Phil recognized where they were. The lava cast was a dead giveaway, a blinding red light that screaming in his face the obvious truth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The land of anarchy and pure chaotic energy. The cursed world full of nomadic folk who delighted in pain and confusion. Its very nature was so insidious that just by stepping foot within it, one could be rearranged from the inside out. Phil knew so because he had seen it. He had even felt it for himself, once upon a time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A blackness. A terrible, <em>evil</em> stain that creeped like a wolf in the bushes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was so young and inexperienced, he probably didn’t even know what was happening. He couldn’t have been perceptive enough to notice the land’s corrupting influence over him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That vile realization left Phil thinking. What if the Tommy they had known was not the Tommy that they would find? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno and Wilbur huddled together for warmth as Phil started a fire. A storm had begun and it wasn’t safe to travel. Lightning crashed and Wilbur dug his hand into Techno’s royal cape for comfort. He wasn’t usually scared of storms, and Phil predicted that he wasn’t frightened for himself. Rather, Wilbur was worried for Tommy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He never took well to the stormy weather, and without any of his family there to comfort him....</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This was an unspoken truth amongst the trio. They all knew that they had to keep moving for Tommy’s sake. They had to find him and bring him home, no matter the personal cost. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So they kept going after the thunder and lightning had passed. They pushed their way through craggy cliffs and lava oceans, down into treacherous ravines and over rickety bridges. Many weeks went by, and still Tommy’s coordinates gained distance. With three people, Phil couldn’t afford to trudge forward nonstop; occasionally they just had to rest and refuel their strength. And Tommy was getting further and further each time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And as winter swept away autumn with its biting winds and snowfalls, Phil began to question everything he thought he knew about Tommy. His son had given up the comforts of home for the unforgiving harshness of stone and obsidian. He gave up familial bonds for the traveling bandit’s give and take relationship. He traded a warm heart for a cold soul, and all for what? So he could soothe some imaginary itch of adventure, or fix a perceived slight by his loved ones? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil just couldn’t understand it. Tommy had only ever been treated with kindness. <strike>Nothing else.</strike> Why had he chosen the wasteland over them? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The howling snow had no answers for him, only a wicked promise of the meeting yet to come.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Winter Act I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cold. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">November, and then December after it brought only cold to Tommy’s life. It dug into him with hooks of steel, and wouldn’t let go. It scraped at his hard outer exterior and weakened his resolve to keep going forward. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The only thing that supported him in this dark time was Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The masked man told him corny jokes that only made sense after he repeated them five times. He whipped up a cozy campfire whenever Tommy’s shivering got too noticeable, and cooked freshly caught meat just for him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the kindest thing he had done for him so far was the hoodie. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream and Tommy had been scaling a snowy mountain. Tommy’s diamond armor was big and bulky, but it wasn’t made to shelter his body from the cold. It wasn’t forged to protect against the brittle sleet and slick hail that fell from the sky either. So, when the duo attempted to climb into even colder areas, Tommy collapsed from the temperature shock. His knees shook and his legs gave out from under him; the ensuing void of unconsciousness was welcomed with open arms. At least Tommy didn’t have to deal with the cold anymore. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But when he inevitably awoke, his limbs didn’t feel like icicles. He was swaddled in a pool of fluff and fabric. For a moment, his muddled mind thought that Dream had found some sheep’s wool to wrap him in, but after moving around a little, he found that not to be the case. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Instead of sheep’s wool, Dream had given Tommy one of his heavy duty hoodies. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream carried many types of jackets in his backpack. One for the hot weather, one for wet and dry climates respectively, and several for varying degrees of the cold season. The one Tommy found himself in was the heaviest hoodie Dream owned, only meant to be used in sub zero temperatures. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And he had gifted it to Tommy. A kid he had known for about a week or so. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s heart melted, and he allowed himself to snuggle further into the green hoodie. Every part of his body was warm with the knowledge that Dream cared about him, and wouldn’t let him suffer quietly. He was a true friend, and he would be forever grateful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy opened his eyes to see the green man himself sit down next to him, offering his body warmth in case the jacket wasn’t adequate. They didn’t say anything for a while. Each other’s presence was enough. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The campfire crackled pleasantly in the background, and they started to talk eventually. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This shit is so heavy! How can you even walk with this on?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream laughed lightly. “Practice! I’ve had many opportunities to wear it while being chased, so I guess I just learned how through that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy made an exaggerated face. “Chased? By those assholes back in the nether? Gah, they must be awful if they couldn’t catch up to you in this thing!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wouldn’t say they’re <em>awful,</em> but sometimes they can be pretty stupid, I grant you that!” Dream paused, thinking of something else to say. “George has been chasing me for forever, so I know his moves like the back of my hand. Same goes for Sapnap, even though I haven’t seen him running after me as often. And BadBoyHalo is a little more unpredictable, but he doesn’t have the same murderous intent as the other two, ya know? He holds back slightly, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy let Dream go on about his hunters, nodding as he went along. It was genuinely interesting to hear someone talk about something that wasn’t just the next new opponent in the Fight Club, or what pathetic newbie Jack Manifold had encountered out in the field. And Dream had a pleasant cadence that didn’t rub Tommy the wrong way, unlike so many others he had met. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But all good things must come to an end. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy faded away into a deep sleep as Dream rambled. It was restful, until the nightmare started. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">Tommy wasn’t in his own body. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He was staring at his arms, which were marred by ugly scars and bruises. He was covered in armor, a heavy set of dark purple mineral that weighed him down to the center of the earth. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">An axe was strapped to his back; he could feel the familiar shaping of it as it dug into his spine. A tactical belt full of potions was at his waist, and they shimmered with every single color he could imagine. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">His body unwillingly walked forward. The world around him was blurry and impenetrable; all he could see was the vague shape of some buildings. His body drew out the axe, and traced its lovely edges with care and wicked desire. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">The scene changed. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He was standing atop walls. Dark, black walls. He tossed something from hand to hand; obsidian most likely, if he was going off of feeling. He wanted to place it down and make the walls higher, nothing was more important to him in that one singular, electrifying moment. The drive to separate, to laugh at those below him was overpowering. So he gave in. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">It was not Tommy’s laugh. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">The sounds that came from his lips belonged to someone else entirely. It seemed delighted and consistent, a far cry from Tommy’s broken up, throaty laugh. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">The dream shifted again. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He was in the midst of a fierce battle. The roaring sound of Withers hit his ears as he leapt into action. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He cut and slashed at every warm body that he saw. His axe was an extension of his arm; a glowing, purple instrument of war that fueled Tommy’s bloodlust further. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he saw even less of his surroundings. He reached for a strength potion, and downed its contents with glee. The next person he spotted received an axe to the brain, and the victim after that got a crossbow shot to the gut. Blood flew from their respective injuries, and Tommy only reveled in it. The grass below him was slick with the red stuff, but he was in no danger of slipping. He was as graceful as a wildcat, and as determined as a dragon. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">Someone screamed at him. They urged him to stop, to think. To help them fight the Withers. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He shut out their pitiful pleas and continued on with his merry massacre. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">The battlefield dissolved, and a green and brown environment formed around him. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">TNT blew it all to shreds, placed by his hands. A mournful cry sounded off in the distance, but Tommy was too entangled in the beautiful explosion to care. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">He brought his arms up again. Though they still clearly didn’t belong to him, he liked having them. They were strong and unwavering, and they carried out violence like a sweet, saccharine dream. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">They reminded him of someone. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy snapped awake in a cold sweat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream was gently rubbing circles in his back and startled when Tommy jolted up and into his arms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tommy did you-“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dream I had a nightmare!” Tommy’s voice cracked and broke into a choked sob. He couldn’t remember too much of what he had dreamt, but he did know that he’d likely never get the smell of tainted blood and smoke out of his nose. Flashes of a battlefield and obsidian walls poked at his memory. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I-I’m sorry if I-“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time Dream cut him off. “No, you’re not a burden. It’s okay, I’m alright. You’re alright. Come here.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream invited Tommy further into his embrace, and he couldn’t say no. He desperately longed for real, tangible human comfort, and he found it in Dream’s cartoonish smiley mask and lime green jacket. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They hugged, and the tight contact chased away Tommy’s tears. His heaving sobs slowly turned into deep breaths, and soon he was stable enough to look up at Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had shifted his mask ever so slightly so that Tommy could see the side of his face. A single green eye and a freckled cheek looked back at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you feel like talking about it? It always helps me to talk about my nightmares....maybe it’ll help you?” His voice was soft and reassuring. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t really remember much of the dream. I...I only remember flashes. Like the smell of blood on the ground, and Wither skulls in the air, and...” Tommy tried to hold back the tears that threatened to start falling again. “I couldn’t control my body, Dream. I was-I was someone else. Not me, I had different armor on. And I did...bad things.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream held Tommy closer, and hummed in acknowledgment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That sounds terrible. Well, I want you to know that it wasn’t real. You’re a great person; you saved me from the hunters when you had absolutely no reason to. You traveled with me when you could’ve just ditched my slow ass! I haven’t seen kindness like that in years, Tommy. You’ve been the first person to show me <em>common decency</em> since I became an outlaw, for goodness sake.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He let the words sink in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re a good person, Tommy. It doesn’t matter what some nightmare says, you are a good person, and I’m proud to be your friend.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was ready to get a move on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a quick roasted meal, they packed up all their stuff and hiked the rest of the way up the mountain. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Their path was occasionally dotted with netherack formations or wooden shacks, but otherwise it appeared fairly untouched by the wider anarchic society. That made their climb much less stressful and actually enjoyable now that Tommy had the proper jacket to endure the cold. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They eventually reached the mountain’s tippy top. It afforded them a magnificent view; in the distance a great man made ocean loomed, its waters dotted with nether portals and cobblestone crags. Lava casts stretched up into the sky, as they always did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the most noticeable structure by far was the settlement. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a bundle of houses made out of obsidian. They were more like rudimentary cubes rather than houses. They had no roof or chimney, or front lawn and garden. Each ‘house’ was guarded with attack dogs, all looking beaten and scrappy. And the impregnable barbed wire fencing surrounding it was not friendly to the eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the hell?” Dream hissed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy stopped staring at the odd encampment and turned to Dream. “What? What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s people down there!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy sighed. “Yeah, there’s usually people in a man made settlement Dream.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream looked shocked even through his porcelain mask. “No, no that’s not what I mean! There’s people being <em>beaten</em> down there! Look!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pointed to a specific point in the encampment. And there were indeed a few people scurrying around. But, one was carrying a whip while the others were naked of all protection and lugging around obsidian blocks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Shit.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before Tommy could usher Dream away, a swooping noise and a harsh gust of wind brushed his ears. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Well well,</em> what do we have here?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy took in the sight of the man now before him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had on diamond armor that could’ve been an exact carbon copy of Tommy’s. An Elytra was strapped to his back, and an intricate band of Totems was wrapped around both his wrists. A royal coat fluffed up beneath his armor, and it made him look grander than his greasy face suggested he really was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He zeroed his black, beady eyes onto Tommy instantly, recognizing him as the stronger one of the duo. And a spark of reverence lit up in his jagged smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh great, you’ve brought us another newbie! I always wondered when you would eventually show up.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream’s head sharply snapped to Tommy. His eyes widened in confusion. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The slaver cracked his neck and broadened his smile. “The Bloodletter himself. I must say that it’s an <em>honor</em> to meet you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>comment what you think happened in tommy’s dream. i wanna see if anyone can get it &gt;:) </p><p>(i’ll reply if you get it right and give you a cookie)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Winter Act II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i am SO sorry i didn’t post this earlier.....life is getting more full and i don’t have as much time to write now because of college applications and shit. so i hope you enjoy the chapter, and i’m sorry that it’s so very rushed and bad. </p><p>(oh and a lotttttt of you get a cookie. i saw many correct guesses on last chapter!) :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, SalC1 did warn him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, but I think this is a misunderstanding! He’s with me.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy pointed at Dream, who was still staring him down in silent accusation. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The slaver in the royal coat eyed him with renewed interest. “Of course. Your personal attendant, I really should’ve known. But I think he looks a bit too <em>free willed</em> still, would you like to use our reconditioning facilities? They really are top notch if I do say so myself. These very grounds were used in the Rusher War, you know, so you can trust us to get the job done!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Without any verbal confirmation from Tommy, the slaver whistled into the valley below. On cue, other diamond clad players flew up to them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Take the green one to reconditioning. Our esteemed visitor isn’t quite satisfied with his personal slave’s attitude.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The enforcers surrounding Dream put their hands on his broad shoulders. Instinctually, Dream bucked against their grasp and launched into a fighting stance. He brought his fist up to one’s chin, and his leg kicked out to hit the other’s knee. His punch landed and successfully knocked the wind out of one slaver, but his kick only met armored resistance. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But one stumble was all it took to subdue Dream. The slavers bit into enchanted golden apples and used their newfound incredible strength to force Dream to the ground. Soon enough, they were locking steel chains around Tommy’s only friend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy sputtered, trying to come up with the words to get them to stop. But a part of his mind, an ugly and ruthless part of him, whispered to let them take Dream. To let them recondition him into perfect compliance. It was the natural way of 2b2t, to preserve the strong and crush the weak. He had learned that through blood and fire, so why shouldn’t Dream learn the very same lesson? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The kinder, softer side of him rebelled. The idea of his friend being tortured into submission was inherently repugnant to Tommy’s mushy heart, no matter what his newly discovered shadow self said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With his moral dilemma resolved, he knew he had to rescue Dream from the slavers. But, he had to play it smart. He couldn’t take on all of them at once, so he had to play along. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Would you like a tour of our establishment? I would be so delighted if you would grace us with your blessing!” The greasy haired slaver looked at him like he was a deity that heralded from the Äether above, so who was Tommy to say no? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They glided down to the apply named “Black Valley” and approached the largest building in the camp. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is where your green friend will be residing! It’s the oldest facility we have here, and it was originally used to recondition Rusher newbies when they invaded a while back.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy blinked in surprise. He didn’t expect a simple slavers outpost to have such history behind it. He of course had heard the stories of the Rusher Incursion from traveling veterans when they came to the Fight Club, but now it suddenly seemed closer than ever. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As if sensing his wonder, the slaver at his side grinned. “I knew you’d like it! But we have other places to see, come along!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy tore his eyes away from the towering obsidian center and forced himself to follow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the tour was rather bland. The purpose of the encampment, as it turned out, was to mine up obsidian and transport it to the eastern wall. The spawn region to the east had suffered damage from a few creative griefer groups, so extra labor was needed to repair the great walls and extract the water that was in their way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, Tommy had no interest in walls or spawn oceans. He only wanted to get his guide alone and vulnerable. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And luckily he found himself a chance right after they had explored the last area of the compound. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, that’s the end of it. I’m really glad we could-“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His shield wasn’t up, so that left him completely undefended from ordinary attack. With one clean swipe of the sword, the slaver’s head was separated from his body. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Poof!</em> His items pooled at Tommy’s feet, and he snatched some of the extra Totems before lighting it all up with flint and steel. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A warrior’s haze gripped Tommy as he surveyed the land. Nobody had witnessed his kill, so the alarms weren’t raised quite yet. The dogs kept patrolling the perimeter, but the majority of the compound was free for Tommy to run across. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stealthily creeped into the center building, quickly navigating his way around with one singular goal in mind. Rescue Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Luckily, he didn’t have to search long to find him. A particularly recognizable scream rang out from behind one of the many iron doors in the facility hallway. It seemed that each of the captured newbies went into a reserved room all to themselves while undergoing initial “reconditioning”. That meant only a few people could fit in one room at a time; less bodies to kill. Good. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy knocked on the door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another slaver unlocked it and stepped out to meet him. Tommy didn’t let him get a word in before kicking him backwards and drawing his sword. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This opponent wasn’t as slow as his comrade; he drew out an axe in one hand and a Totem in another. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They crossed blades, and Tommy realized he couldn’t win with just brute strength alone. So he swept out with his legs and unbalanced the hulking slaver just enough to get a jab in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They traded blows for another moment. Tommy grew tired of waiting for an opening, so he flicked his blade like a viper’s fang and slashed it right through the slaver’s Totem hand. He cried out in ferocious pain and dropped the only thing that could’ve saved him from inevitable death. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One more calculated strike later, and the threat was eliminated. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream coughed and spat blood onto the floor as Tommy made his way to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Holy shit, that was clean! Where did you learn those moves?” His voice was as cheerful as ever, but a shadow of pain and fear crossed his green eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“From a fight club. But enough about me, what the hell happened to you?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He really let himself look at Dream. He let himself see what his rash actions had brought upon his only friend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An ugly, sword inflicted wound ran down Dream’s shoulder. It leaked blood and stained his hoodie a dark shade of crimson that hurt Tommy’s heart. But his knuckles were also bruised, like they had been forcefully cracked together. And Dream had his mask ripped off and shredded to pieces, revealing his face fully to Tommy’s sore eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sported a black eye and a cut lip. Freckles dotted his cheeks, but they were smudged with dried blood and blemishes that threatened to blossom into bright purple marks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream looked <em>terrible,</em> and Tommy felt awful for letting it happen. He should’ve stopped the slavers before they caught them, before they dragged Dream away to this evil place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Tommy? I’m okay....I know that I don’t look like it, but I am. I’ll recover, I always do. I’ve been running from three maniacs for how many years now? They’ve inflicted much worse, I promise you! Just help me up, and we can get out of here. This place reeks anyway.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy half coughed half laughed at Dream’s pathetic attempt at levity. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he didn’t respond as he lifted Dream up and out of the chair he had been chained to. They said nothing as they both snuck out of the reconditioning center. No words could fully conceptualize the bond that had now formed between the two. Brothers in arms, they were. Absolute trust was required to witness one at their lowest point, and Dream had granted Tommy that trust implicitly, without protest. He had let Tommy see him beaten and bloody, and that could never be forgotten. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But by the time they had breached the walls, the bodies of the two slavers had been found. A piercing alarm rang out into the valley, and Tommy saw the heads of the slaves tilt up in desperate interest. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A flaming arrow whizzed past his head. Another clipped his diamond heel as he broke into a run. Dream couldn’t support his own weight, so he leaned on Tommy for support. The two had to at least make it to a safe spot to teleport away. Then Tommy could drop Dream off and begin the bloodbath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He dodged the next volley of arrows as he handed Dream an enderpearl. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“On my mark, throw this as hard as you can!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream grunted in acknowledgment and waited. Tommy ran and scanned the mountainous area in front of them. His eyes picked out a craggy cave swathed in shadow that would hide them perfectly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“Now!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream watched as Tommy angled his body towards the cave and threw the pearl. He followed Tommy’s example and teleported along with him to safety. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They gasped as the eldritch energy in the pearls released them into the darkness of their destination. Tommy recovered quickly and snapped off a Totem from his wristband. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gave it to Dream. “Hold this in your hand and don’t, under any circumstances, lose it! I’ll be back once I’ve dealt with all the guys out there.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream put a concerned hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure you can take all of them at once? They have the best gear and weapons...maybe we should just keep running and hope we lose them?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The dark hid the old bloodthirst that had risen up to settle on Tommy’s expression, and he was grateful for that small mercy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They don’t get to escape justice this time, Dream. No matter how much the newbies may deserve it, they should be spared this horror. We both can agree on that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream locked his shoulder with Tommy’s in a show of solidarity. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, do what you have to do. I’ll whisper if I’m in trouble.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy nodded, and then ran out of the cave’s mouth. Several players were swooping down to fight Tommy, while others were rounding up the newbies for a last stand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A snarling slaver with ripped Elytra wings lunged at Tommy. His fist connected with Tommy’s diamond shoulder plating, but ultimately it felt like a feather light tap. Tommy returned the gesture by lashing out with his sword. It impaled itself through a chink in the slaver‘s armor and brutally carved a hole in the middle of his abdomen. A deafening howl rang out and the Totem in his offhand popped. Green sparks fizzled and whirled in Tommy’s vision, but he didn’t need to see to finish the slaver off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before he could retrieve another Totem, Tommy sliced off his hand and kicked him down onto the hard floor. Blood loss would take care of him soon enough. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another challenger approached Tommy, this time with End Crystals in his hands. A much wiser move, Tommy noted. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But ultimately, it didn’t matter. Tommy was well versed in Crystal combat, and the two traded blows for scarcely a minute before he got the upper hand over the slaver. A well timed strike and shield block led to yet another dropped body. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At this point, Tommy started panting with the rush of battle. His fingers twitched, hovering over the crystals in his belt. He was ready to take on any sorry fool who would dare to engage him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But instead of rallying together for one last rush, the remaining players scattered. They grabbed whatever they could find still laying around and fled from the scene. None of them were willing to die for each other or their cause. Pitiful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy sheathed his dripping wet sword and watched as the newbies cried out in joy. They were finally free! Some fell to their knees and praised the sky, while others bolted straight for the woods. The smart ones went deeper into the facility to look for gear stashes that the experienced players had left behind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy eyed each and every one of the newbies with a strange feeling burning in his gut. It was very familiar; it nagged at the back of his mind like an irritating fly on the wall. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">These newbies had no place in the land. <em>They were </em>useless,<em> unable to do anything but subsist off of the old players like parasites. They sucked the land dry of resources, and gave nothing back in return. They cried for help like pathetic pups and whined when they were treated like the </em>tapeworms<em> they were. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy realized what he was feeling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wanted to kill them. Like he had before, in the ring. The twitching sensation in his hand blazed uncomfortably. The awesomely curved bow on his back called to him, it practically begged to used. The flame enchantment glistened with a devilish temptation; one hit from it and the newbies would fall like dominoes. One by one, they would fall. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had pulled it out of its strap without even thinking. He drew back the bow’s drawstring, feeling nothing at all. A ruthless cold had settled over him, but it still wasn’t enough to douse the flames in his stomach. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The arrow was just about to be set free. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then, a calloused hand was on Tommy’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let them go.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He registered Dream’s tinny voice in his ear. He held the bow taught and still, but did not loose the flaming arrow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They are not to blame for their helplessness. They were enslaved by those who wished to prey upon their misfortune. Don’t punish them for other’s wrongdoings. Let them go, and perhaps they’ll grow to be as strong as you one day. They’ll prove themselves, but if you kill them now....you’ll never know.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something in Dream’s words rang true. Tommy lowered his bow and blew out the flame. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We should go.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream sighed heavily. “Yeah, I think that would be best.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil and his two boys had finally found some semblance of civilization in this lawless world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A small base camp that looked like nuclear winter had settled over it. Several players milled around, and Phil knew some of them had to be friendly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They approached with caution. Phil took point, since he had the most experience with the anarchic lands, and Techno watched the rear end of the group. Wilbur was squished in the middle, being protected by his devoted guardians. Honestly, there was nowhere else he’d rather be. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil hailed one of the nicer looking old ones, a tall woman in a dark business suit. If they were going to get any viable information on Tommy, then talking with the inhabitants was their only option. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi, I was wondering if you had any information regarding a young boy that may have run around here recently.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The woman cocked her head curiously. She didn’t seem dangerous or agitated, but Phil couldn’t be too careful. He hovered his hand over his sword sheath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why, I think you’ll have to be a bit more specific there mate. We get a lot of young men running around these parts nowadays.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil nodded curtly. “He’s about 6’3, blond, skinny, and answers to the name Tommyinnit.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The otherwise busy and bustling noises of the crowd around them suddenly went quiet. The woman in front of Phil covered her mouth with one hand. She seemed to be resisting the urge to laugh. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh sunny, we’ve <em>all</em> heard of Tommyinnit. But we don’t use that name around here, it’s unbecoming. That was his old name, and it died when he stepped into the Fight Club ring.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil wanted to punch her smug face and demand to know the real truth. She had to be lying through her teeth; Tommy wouldn’t have participated in such a ludicrous thing like a <em>Fight Club! </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He is called many things now, but the crowd’s favorite seemed to be The Bloodletter. He was also called Demon of the Pit, Newbie Killer, and so on. If you want to find him, then I suggest using those names. But be warned, new traveler, he has a sixth sense for weakness! He’ll smell your fear from a mile away and strike when you’re at your most vulnerable! There is no catching him off guard! Woe betide any challenger who dares face him in the field of battle!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She only got more intense as her ramble went on. Soon, the entire encampment circled around them and was chanting Tommy’s nicknames. They were praising his skills in the ring, cheering for his ruthless efficiency, screaming for blood. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“Bloodletter! Bloodletter! Demon of the Pit, deliver us from perdition and cleanse the world of all who would start anew!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil pulled Techno and Wilbur close. The crowd had started giving them dirty looks amid their chanting and howling for Tommy. They saw the strangers’ lack of armor and crystals, and thus concluded the only logical thing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Although the Bloodletter wasn’t in the room with them, his presence was still acutely felt by every single one of the veterans. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“For the Pit Demon, we sacrifice these three newbies! May their still bleeding hearts satiate his never ending hunger!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil felt despair clutch at his heart, yet a darkly morbid humor still sparked within him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Killed by my own son’s blind followers. How unexpected.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Winter Act III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Technoblade had always been the stoic son, the unflappable warrior who wouldn’t move even in the face of certain doom. He never hesitated to take action in all his life, and although he had certain fears and anxieties, he was always composed and ready to face whatever the cruel world threw at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wasn’t prepared, however, to face the rabid mob in front of him now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They rushed at Techno and the others from all sides, swords flashing and crystals lighting up. His piglin instincts roared through his veins and fueled his battle adrenaline. He brought a shield up around them to defend against the onslaught, the wind knocked out of him in the process. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Back up towards the door quickly! I’ll try and hold ‘em off!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil nodded and dragged Wilbur away, his shield also raised. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno grunted as many swords chipped away at his shield. An axe was jabbed into it at one point, disabling it temporarily. With a snort, Techno realized what he had to do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Swinging his broadsword in a wide arc to push the hoard back, he leapt sideways and plunged his weapon into the squishy and unprotected neck of one of the crowd. They fell like a rock, but then green and yellow sparks blazed from around them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">A Totem of Undying. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The defeated warrior rose back up, an almost undead malice glinting in his eyes. The mortal wound on his neck was knitting itself back together again as he walked towards Techno, but before he could kill him a second time, a blow came from behind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The attacker received Techno’s elbow to the face. Without a care in the world, the piglin turned around to strike at the nuisance. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But his sword was blocked by specially enchanted armor. It was like his sword just glanced lightly off of the shiny diamond surface. Impossible....his sword was the most highly prized weapon in the entire inner world. It should’ve been able to cut through anything with its kiss of Sharpness V. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Give up Pig! We are blessed by the Pit Demon, and you, a lowly nonbeliever, cannot destroy us!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Whoever had just spoken sounded like a serpent, with a voice of distorted adoration and reverb. Soon, others joined into the chorus, making it difficult for Techno to discern who exactly was speaking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He will save our land from decay and dreaded entropy! He will save us from those who would wish to steal our bodies and souls!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He would save you too, if you just let yourself be purged by his sword. Scrubbed away like the plague you are.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Give up, give in! We are his spectral Hands, commanded to do his will as he would surely wish it!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno couldn’t bear it. The clamoring coming from all directions stirred the voices inside his own brain from their slumber. They awoke and chimed in, offering their insidious, poisonous words along with the chanting crowd. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Blood for the blood god! Skulls for the skull throne! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Kill! Kill them! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Praise the Pit Demon! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Kill. Kill! Kill! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Blood! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wanted to cry, he wanted to rip and tear. He wanted nothing and everything. It was too much to bear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A sudden whoosh brushed past Techno’s ears. It was followed by the sound of an axe brutally squishing against someone’s internal organs. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno squinted open his eyes carefully, looking for the source of the odd noise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What he found was a man standing there, a beautifully carved battle axe glistening with blood in his hands. He was wearing diamond armor and a ring of Totems like the rest of them, but he somehow seemed different. Like he was older, wiser. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And more deadly. Within moments, he had created a gaping wound in the crowd’s unbreakable formation, and soon they were all scattering. He could hear shouting, and a distant howling about how the Bloodletter would hear about this, and how he would come to their aid to strike down their hated enemy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno lifted himself out of his stupor, and pushed down the voices in his head. They werenot content to sink back down into dormant sleep; they still demanded blood for the blood god. Or....was it death for the Pit Demon? He couldn’t tell anymore. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The wise looking diamond clad player approached Techno. He held out a hand in a silent greeting. He shook his hand reluctantly, unsure of his polite gesture. Could this man be trying to trick him, or lull him into a false sense of security? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My name is Fit. And yours is Technoblade, I’d assume.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno raised an eyebrow. “Yes. And how the hell do you know that?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know because I’ve seen you before, at the Hypixel Tournaments to be exact. It’s quite hard to forget a nine time international champion I’d say.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh, that explained it. The tournaments had given Techno a very flattering reputation, and he often had to deal with fans on a regular basis. But never had he actually met one with such sheer skill before. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah. And you rescued me. Why?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fit scoffed slightly. “You don’t deserve to die to a bunch of lunatic cultists, Technoblade. I would’ve thought that’d be obvious.” A humorless chuckle escaped his lips. “And, I have a vested interest in helping you find Tommyinnit.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno’s eyes widened involuntarily. “What‘s in it for you? You wouldn’t just help me find him without some sort of price.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time, Fit laughed whole heartedly, with humor lacing every second of it. “Yes, of course. That is the simple way of things here; give and take, barter for one and get another. For the giving of information to you and your family, I will expect a certain favor to be granted.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno grunted, obscenely put off by the thought of owing a debt to this slimy wanderer. He was as bad as all the rest, he just didn’t show it as much. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah? And what might that be?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I want you to kill his traveling companion. I’ve heard through the grapevine that he’s picked up someone; a newbie with a green hoodie and a smiley mask.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno snarled, his tusks jutting out with sudden white hot anger. “Dream.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fit quirked his head to the side in interest. “You know him?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He dueled me a little while back. Almost crippled me, almost stripped me of my title.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fit knew of the title in question, of course. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fascinating. So I gather that you won’t be at all opposed to my small request then.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No. I’d kill that green bastard for free.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy and Dream had stopped to recuperate a few thousand blocks out from the slaver outpost. Dream’s wounds now desperately needed attendance, and Tommy was tired of carrying him without proper rest. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He brought out the rudimentary first aid pack and wrapped Dream’s shoulder in thick bandages after treating it with anti-infection cream. The other small cuts and scrapes were dealt with as well, but Tommy couldn’t do anything for the black eye and the dizziness. Those would just have to heal on their own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tommy?” Dream said softly, stirring him from his stupor. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah big man?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why the hell did those slavers know who you were?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy should’ve known that the day of reckoning would come. The day that he’d have to spill his blood soaked past to Dream. He wasn’t ready to have his only friend hate him for things he now wasn’t proud of. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, I may have made a name for myself back when I was still new. I....I joined an underground Fight Club, and fought other newbies for shulker boxes full of loot. I guess I was there for a long time, because soon everyone knew my name. They came to watch me fight, to watch me <em>kill.</em> I even liked it, after a while. And....” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy couldn’t look at Dream. Even though he was wearing his mask, he knew that his eyes must be full of distain and disappointment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I became an icon to them. An idol that carried out their divine will. And now every old player knows my name and wants me to join their team....I-I don’t know if I can...I don’t want to be that person they think I am, Dream! I’m not some blood god like Tech-like my brother, I’m not some glitzy superstar like Wilbur....I’m nothing but a terrible<em> monster.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy couldn’t stop the ocean of emotions now. He rambled until his cheeks were streaked with hot tears and his voice was cracked with hoarse whispers. Dream wordlessly leaned into him, pulling off his mask so he could show Tommy his face. <em>His eyes.</em> His eyes full of such <em>compassion</em> and <em>understanding. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were desperate Tommy. You did things you weren’t proud of to stay alive in this shitty world, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. And let me tell you something....this is something I haven’t told anyone else ever. It might make you feel better.” Dream breathed in, letting Tommy see his vulnerability. “I used to be friends with the hunters. George, Sapnap, Badboyhalo....they were all my best friends. Until I decided that I would betray them for ultimate power. I hurt them, I tried to turn them against one another....so they hunt me. To cure me of the madness that I so foolishly inflicted upon myself.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy stared up at Dream’s bare face. He was enraptured by the tale, but also puzzled. Dream didn’t seem like the type to enjoy others suffering....much less pursue a quest for ‘ultimate power’, whatever that meant. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You....don’t seem very mad right now.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My travels have done a lot to clear my head, but when I’m alone....I can feel it. It is <em>relentless,</em> and it will stop at nothing to control me. It’s name is Dreamon, and all it wants is to mold the world in its image.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy gaped. Dream had a literal demon trapped in his head? “I...well I’m glad I found you. I can help you with your evil brain worm and you can help me....” Tommy trailed off, unsure of what exactly he wanted Dream to help with. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know what I can do for you, Tommy. You said everyone knows your name and face? Well, how about if you covered your face up completely?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy narrowed his eyes. “That’d be great! But how would we....” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream rummaged in his backpack for a moment, before bringing out a perfect copy of his white porcelain mask. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This. I want you to have my spare mask. It’ll help you hide, and it might be a token....of our friendship.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy felt his eyes water again, but from happiness instead of sorrow. He threw his tired arms around Dream and exclaimed. “Thank you; I love it!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After Tommy released Dream from the hug, he took the mask from his bandaged hands. It was in pristine condition, not a single scratch on it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He put it on with shaky fingers, excited to show Dream how much he loved his gift. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It fit like a glove, beautifully framing his face and hiding his distinctive features from the world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno had brought Fit out to see Phil and Wilbur. Their desire to hear out his information overwhelmed their deep seated distrust of the armored stranger. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fit explained that Tommy had become a ring fighter, and quite a good one at that. Over the many months that he had been there he had unwittingly cultivated a dedicated following that killed and destroyed in his name. Fit had even seen him fight once, and he gladly recounted the entire bloody affair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil was shell shocked. He would never have taken Tommy as the mindless and violent type. It didn’t seem like him at all...he loved to use his slippery words to scam and debate. He wasn’t like Techno, surely? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wilbur had been just as surprised as Phil to learn his baby brother had become such an icon of death and terror. Tommy had always been innocent in his eyes, no matter how vulgar or obscene his language got. Now Wilbur saw just how malevolent and mature his brother had the capacity to be. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno may have taught Tommy how to fight, but he never imagined that his lessons would be used to this extent. He always thought that he’d be the family fighter, the fucked up one who lusted for blood in the tournament arena. He only indulged Tommy with the swordsmen lessons because he’d begged and pleaded so incessantly. Never in a million years would Techno have dreamt of the day Tommy followed in his footsteps so closely and diligently. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, last I heard he was somewhere near the Black Valley, a slavers mining outpost.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil jerked his head up in surprise. “A slavers outpost? You still perpetuate the barbaric practice of slavery?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Fit made an amused face. “Many of us don’t choose to participate in it, whether we agree with your high and mighty morals or not. It’s expensive to be a slaver, and some of us just aren’t rich enough to handle their products’ needs and expenses. But of course, I choose not to partake because it is the <em>right</em> thing to do. I would even abolish newbie slavery if I could.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil, Techno, and Wilbur all knew he was bullshitting them, but it wouldn’t help to start a fight now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, thank you so much for the information, but I think we’ll be going now.” Phil said, eager to end the conversation before it got too heated. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright. I gave you the coordinates to the Black Valley in your communicators. Should only be a few days worth of a journey. Happy hunting!” Fit gave a half hearted salute and opened his Elytra wings. With a whoosh, he was gone into the cold winter air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He may not have been pleasant, but at least he gave us coords!” Wilbur spoke up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh shut up.” Techno grumbled. He had to not only hunt down Tommy, but also kill Dream as well. His most bitter of rivals....the only one who could remotely challenge his skills. For Techno, this would be no easy cake-walk. This would be war. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few days passed, and the winter wind was back with a vengeance. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It blew icy snowfall everywhere, but luckily Tommy felt none of it. His mask protected his face from the maelstrom, and with his thick green hoodie fluffed up, he was as warm as could be. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy and Dream marched side by side through the knee deep snow, hoping to reach a structure or ruin of some sort to make camp. A huge snowstorm would start up soon according to Tommy’s communicator, and if they were outside when it really picked up....they’d be frozen solid by morning. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So they searched the horizon for any base ruins or nether portals. If they could escape into the endlessly hot nether, then they could entirely avoid the snowstorm. But they found nothing. Only rolling hills and taiga trees loomed ahead of them, no civilization to be seen. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It continued that way for several more hours, and the storm only got worse. The wind shrieked like a banshee in Tommy’s ears, and almost ripped his mask off his face at one point. It pushed Dream’s light and wiry frame around with its terrible force, and threatened to carry him away if he didn’t layer on Tommy’s extra diamond armor set. Eventually, they were both at their wits end. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, the luck of the damned was on Tommy’s side that night. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey look, lights!” He pointed to a light source off in the distance. It glowed a soft orange color, a stark contrast to the haze of blues and whites that covered the rest of Tommy’s vision. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll go check it out!” Dream shouted above the howling winds. “You stay here and look for any buried base remnants!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy nodded and turned away from Dream to dig around in the snow. They could’ve been walking right over a homestead and never known it all along. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The snow prickled at his ankles as his boots sunk deeper into the ground. There must have been goddamn mud under the layers of ice and snow. Great. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy grumbled to himself as he dug around. Now that he was thinking about it, the likelihood of a base being under their feet was pretty low. They’d have seen the cobblestone or wood roof peaking out the top, right? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy was so lost in thought that he almost didn’t notice the light rapidly approaching him from the left. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned his head to examine it. It didn’t come from Dream, since he didn’t carry a lantern that big or bright. And he couldn’t make out any shiny enchanted armor, so it was unlikely that it was another experienced nomad. Was it a newbie perhaps, hopelessly lost in the winter storm? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy would’ve called out to the light, if it didn’t try to attack him first. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A sword flew at him from nowhere, and impaled itself into the ground next to him. If he hadn’t reacted quickly enough....</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A roar sounded off from the whirlwind, and launched itself toward him. A figure made itself visible, and as Tommy dodged out of the way, he looked upon his attacker. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Pink hair, pulled into a mess of fancy braids. Floppy ears and sharpened tusks. A royal coat that flowed like a river of red of white. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Techno! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What was Techno doing here? And why the <em>fuck</em> was he attacking him? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bringing his sword to bear, Techno snarled at him. “<em>Dream!</em> Where the hell is Tommy? What have you done with him?” Venom dripped from his brother’s voice, and red hot hatred seeped out of his slitted eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Holy shit.</em> Techno thought Tommy was Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy said absolutely nothing as he blocked his brother’s sword. He parried his next strike with a quick series of jabs to the left, then right, then right again. Techno grunted in response, and then pressed his strength advantage. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know what you want with Tommy, but you’ll take me to him right now! Or I’ll gut you like the slimy fish you are!” Techno slashed upwards with his weapon and stepped forward. Tommy stumbled back and raised his shield. He couldn’t afford to show Techno any mercy, no matter their brotherly status. As long as Tommy kept up the facade that he was Dream, he could still get away with his life. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Revealing himself was <em>not</em> an option, no matter how dire things got. He couldn’t go back, not to the life he had lived before...not ever. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So, Tommy sidestepped Techno’s blade and launched an attack of his own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">While distracting the bulky pig hybrid with a volley of jabs from his sword, Tommy took out an End Crystal and placed it down. With Techno sufficiently occupied, he ran back and pulled out his flame bow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy felt a flash of remorse suddenly cross over him. He was about to intentionally ignite the most powerful explosion in the land right in front of Technoblade, his cherished older brother. The person who had taught him to fight in the first place, who had dealt with his fear of thunder storms and who had played with him when Phil and Wilbur were too busy. He was about to <em>blow up Technoblade....</em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">Holy fuck! He was going to blow up Technoblade! </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s doubts were forgotten as quickly as they came. Blood rushed though his head, chasing out any hesitation. The heat of battle settled over him once more; Techno was no longer his big brother, but an obstacle to be overcome, a newbie to be crushed in the ring. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Releasing a single arrow from the bow’s string had never felt so good.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Interlude II: Malevolence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i see all your theories in the comments, and let me say that i am very amused ;) </p><p>anywho, dream pov chapter for all you dream stannies :) </p><p>tw: demon possession, graphic depictions of violence, manipulation</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream hadn’t meant for it to turn out this way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He never intended for it to get so far out of hand. His ambition had always been the dominant driving force in his life, but it hadn’t ever eclipsed his love for his friends. They always came first, before any petty achievement or reward. He cared for them more than anything else in the world, even his own plans for the future. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And it should’ve stayed that way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But then, he was invited to duel Technoblade. His hubris convinced him that he was good enough, strong enough, to defeat the half piglin warrior. That maybe, just maybe, he could fully realize his ambitions to become the most talented fighter in the inner world. Superior in the art of battle, even over the Blood God himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was cut down from his arrogance in the most brutal of ways. A quick and clean slice, done before he could even blink. His once perfectly symmetrical and handsome face....utterly defiled with a scar. It ran from the top right of his head to the bottom left of his cheek. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For the first time, he had been completely humbled and broken down. He had been scarred and forever changed from that duel on. He would wear the smiley mask to hide his face, and to never let another soul see the evidence of his great failure. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not even George and Sapnap, and later Badboyhalo got to see Dream’s face again. No matter how they pleaded, serenaded or begged, Dream wouldn’t let them peak. For if they did....they would see how much of a disappointment he was. They would forsake him and leave for someone else. Someone better. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In order to regain his friends’ respect...he had to do something drastic. He had to be willing to do absolutely anything. He didn’t want to be alone in the darkness. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So, he started looking into the ancient magicks of times past. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Totems of Undying, Ender Eyes, Enchanted Books....these were all remnants of an old civilization. They were all objects of great unknowable power, and if he just understood how they worked....maybe he could harness their power and restore himself in the eyes of his friends. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream slaved away for hours, days, weeks. He combed through ancient libraries, he explored lost ocean monuments, and even fought his way through a woodland mansion. Each of these adventures was instrumental in his quest for ultimate redemption. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But nothing was so great as his discovery inside of the Stronghold. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had found an enchanted book inside of one of the chests. But it wasn’t an ordinary enchanted book that offered armor or weapon enhancement....no, it was different. It was more like an occult text. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Inside it detailed intricate rituals and elaborate lore. Dark, terrible, unholy secrets that even the ancient societies of the Nether and End hadn’t uncovered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Despite his better judgment and rational brain, Dream was tempted. He was drawn to the book and the powerful secrets within. It almost whispered aloud to him about how glorious he’d be if he just harnessed the book’s potential. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeing no other option, Dream fell prey to the book’s silvery words. He heeded its call and performed the most forbidden summoning spell. He cut deep into both his palms with a serrated Diamond dagger and spoke aloud the demonic words that would earn him his ultimate power. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“</span><span class="s2">╎</span><span class="s3">ᓭ</span><span class="s4">⚍</span><span class="s3">ᒲᒲ</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s6">リ</span><span class="s7"> ||</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s4">⚍</span><span class="s7">, </span><span class="s6">↸</span><span class="s3">ᒷᓭ</span><span class="s4">ℸ</span><span class="s7"> ̣ </span><span class="s8">∷</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s7">||</span><span class="s3">ᒷ</span><span class="s8">∷</span><span class="s7">,</span> <span class="s3">ᔑᓵ</span><span class="s4">⚍∷</span><span class="s3">ᓭᒷ</span><span class="s4">⚍</span><span class="s7">!¡</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s6">リ</span><span class="s4">ℸ</span><span class="s7"> ̣ </span><span class="s4">⍑</span><span class="s3">ᒷ</span><span class="s9">ꖎ</span><span class="s3">ᔑ</span><span class="s6">リ↸</span><span class="s7">. </span><span class="s8">⊣</span><span class="s2">╎</span><span class="s4">⍊</span><span class="s3">ᒷᒲᒷ</span><span class="s7"> ||</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s4">⚍∷</span><span class="s7"> !¡</span><span class="s5">𝙹∴</span><span class="s3">ᒷ</span><span class="s8">∷</span><span class="s2">╎</span><span class="s6">リ</span><span class="s3">ᒷ</span><span class="s7"> ̇/</span><span class="s3">ᓵ</span><span class="s4">⍑</span><span class="s3">ᔑ</span><span class="s6">リ</span><span class="s8">⊣</span><span class="s3">ᒷ</span><span class="s4">⎓</span><span class="s5">𝙹∷</span><span class="s3">ᒲ</span><span class="s7">|| </span><span class="s10">ʖ</span><span class="s5">𝙹↸</span><span class="s7">||, </span><span class="s4">⎓</span><span class="s5">𝙹∷</span><span class="s7"> ||</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s4">⚍ℸ</span><span class="s7"> ̣ </span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s4">⚍</span><span class="s3">ᓭᒷᔑᓭ</span><span class="s7"> ||</span><span class="s5">𝙹</span><span class="s4">⚍</span><span class="s7"> !¡</span><span class="s9">ꖎ</span><span class="s3">ᒷᔑᓭᒷ</span><span class="s7">.!” </span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For a moment, nothing happened. But then a blinding flash heralded down from the sky and coalesced into a visible form. It stretched out like an ever shifting cloud of malice and it <em>smiled.</em> Dream couldn’t see the thing physically smile, but he felt it shine down on him like a slippery tendril of pure emotion. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before he could speak to it, the thing in the sky sank down onto him. It wrapped its horrible malformed body around him and it spoke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I am Dreamon, and I can give you whatever it is that you seek.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream startled. The entity’s voice was like a million serpents twisting in on themselves, devouring their own tails. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I seek ultimate power, to never be defeated in battle again, so that I can restore my honor. So that I can make my friends proud of me again.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Entity-no, the Dreamon, cackled lowly. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I will grant your request, little human. You show signs of great promise.” </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">It reached out with a smokey tendril and lifted up the porcelain mask. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“Oh yes, I like you very much. You will do so very nicely.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And then it was as if Dream was suffocating on fire and brimstone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Dreamon grabbed a hold of him and forcibly inserted itself into Dream. It sank into his mouth, his eyes, his nose. It embedded its toxic, malevolent presence into Dream’s very being and existence. Suddenly, he could no longer tell where the Dreamon began and where Dream ended. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were one. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He flexed his fingers. So strong, without a hint of shakiness or instability. He fixed his mask back in place after testing out every extremity and motor function. Now there could be no doubt. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had been redeemed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He went to his friends the next morning. He showed off his newly revitalized strength and power. He lifted blocks of diamond like it was a pound of paper. He leapt over and through parkour courses like it was a minor inconvenience. His boundless energy stirred his friends into action, and even they improved under Dream’s watchful eye. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But eventually, as all endless and ancient entities do, he grew bored. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Impressing the same people over and over and over again was no fun. There was no violent delight to be had in peaceful times, and there was no true challenge in it either. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So he tested his friends. He started a rumor with George. He idly gossiped that Sapnap was envious of his skill and that he would be leaving their little group soon to go train in a distant land of combat and bloodshed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">George, of course, was disgruntled. Sapnap had always jokingly complained that he was the third wheel of the team, but he had never actually revealed his feelings to him. He never confided in them, and if what Dream was saying was true....</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">George confronted Sapnap about it a day later. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And George was shocked to learn that Sapnap had heard a rumor too. He had heard that George was planning to sabotage his training efforts because he was jealous of his friend’s rising skill in one on one combat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They raised their voices in heated argument while Dream watched from the shadows. He couldn’t resist a gleeful smile full of jagged teeth and black radiance. Now this, this was so <em>very</em> fun. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It continued for a little while longer before they eventually discovered Dream behind it all, pulling their strings like puppets on a stage. They exploded at him, lashing out with fury and rage at his betrayal. <em>How could he do this to them,</em> they said. <em>How could he play with their emotions and precious feelings like that,</em> they said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took all his mental fortitude not to roll on the floor laughing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Because, he told them, they were simply too much fun to leave alone. They were too adorable, too cute when they were mad and all worked up at each other. He wanted to see them like that all the time, he said. It was quality entertainment, after all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">George burned up in the face, while Sapnap shouted in cold, frozen anger. He whined that Dream had changed into someone else, someone he didn’t recognize. He pouted, and threw a temper tantrum. Dream, <em>please!</em> Dream, come back, and be our friend again, he said. <em>Please. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">George leaked water from his eyes. He sat down numbly and continued to leak wet tears from his face. It wasn’t fun to watch, so Dream turned away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap continued to rant, rave and beg and plead. Dream decided that it would be much more fun if he had a weapon. To take out his frustrations of course. So Dream brought out his axe and tossed it to the fuming Sapnap. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kill me, if you’re so angry then!” He had said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? <em>No!</em> I wouldn’t kill you! You’re my friend Dream....” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream had rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Sapnap was capable of such immense and beautiful bloodthirst. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, you would kill me. You <em>will</em> do it, in fact. I see it, as clear as day. Your fiery, lusting eyes as you cut me down! So why don’t you just give in to it?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap had started to leak water from his eyes like George. “No, I’m not like that! I don’t like killing, I’m a good person!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream again had to stifle a laugh from bubbling up and out of his vile throat. “Are you sure? When we were sparring earlier I saw you enjoy it. I saw you lunge and parry with such force....it’s almost like you were trying to kill me!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, you’re fucking lying! I wouldn’t ever kill my friend, especially in a dumb sparring match!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time Dream didn’t stop the laugh from coming. He let it take him, control him from the inside out. It had a beautiful affect on Sapnap. He pinched his eyes shut and covered his ears with his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop it! Stop laughing at me!!” He yelled at Dream, a raw and animalistic scream that would’ve scared off any lesser being. He writhed in agony while Dream continued to laugh. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“STOP LAUGHING AT ME.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap brought down the axe in a wide arc. Dream easily side stepped it, and he patted his headband wearing friend on the back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great job, you almost hit me! Maybe try harder next time though.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap screamed and swiped at Dream. He swung the axe like it was an extension of his arm, like it was a claw that would wipe Dream from the face of the earth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, his attempts were fruitless. Dream was too agile, too slippery to be struck by Sapnap’s weapon. He also wasn’t slowed down by the weight of intense hatred and emotion. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap was almost frothing at the mouth now, totally consumed by the rage of a betrayed friend. George was staring at the sky, still convulsing with those strange watery sobs that Dream didn’t understand. Maybe it was time to take things up a notch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sapnap, I’m very proud of your progress. But I think you’re missing something.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He only got a mindless shriek in response. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Follow me!” Dream led the axe-crazy Sapnap over to where George was laying. If he was going to get them both involved, then drastic measures had to be taken. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kill George, and maybe I’ll stop laughing at you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something that vaguely resembled a ‘no’ erupted from Sapnap’s throat. He lunged again at Dream, who just grabbed a hold of his shoulders. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let me rephrase that. You <em>will</em> kill George, or I will kill you. Slowly, painfully. I’ll make George watch....maybe I’ll even force him to participate! Wouldn’t you like that, Sippy Cup? To see his pretty little face before you die?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap buried his face in Dream’s hoodie, crying out viciously. He clutched at Dream desperately, wordlessly asking permission to not do it. But Dream just stood stock still, a malevolent grin spreading onto his face behind the mask. Humans and their pathetic emotions were so fun!! </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap paced over to George, who had begun to space out. He had a distant look in his heterochromatic eyes, and Sapnap took this as a small mercy. If George was far away from his own body and thoughts, and then this shouldn’t hurt too much. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He brought the axe down. Blood soaked into the grass, a vibrant shade of crimson that ignited a brillant ecstasy in Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh Sapnap, don’t be sad. He’ll respawn at his bed, and then we can do it all over again. Once you do it enough times, it begins to lose its impact, you know? Killing is like riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you never forget it. And it gets oh so much easier.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sapnap turned his head, slowly and with cold menace. “I will never stop hunting you, Dream. There is nowhere on this green earth that will be safe from me. I will purge you of whatever corruption defiles you, then and only then will I be satisfied.” Sapnap’s eyes had become calm, with calculated rage that would serve him well in the upcoming years. He would be truly dedicated to chasing Dream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Excellent. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When George woke up, he wiped away his tears and steeled his resolve. Dream wouldn’t get away with killing him without a fight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream ran away that night. He grabbed whatever supplies he still had left, and fled from his former friends. He reveled into the crisp night air; something fun was finally happening! It was a real event, a <em>manhunt!</em> They were chasing him, searching for a way to reverse what had been done to him. Eventually, he knew, they would forget why they were running after him. They would just know the addicting bloodlust and thrill of the chase soon. Whether or not they realized it, he was molding them into his own image. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All according to plan. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, as the years dragged on, the Dreamon inside of him weakened. Its influence over his mind and soul slowly slackened, and that allowed Dream’s base personality to shine through. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What was he doing? Why had he hurt his friends like that? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His mind raced with sudden painful awareness. The Dreamon. He invited it in, and it had its way with him. It fucked up his life just for fun! </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the realization alone couldn’t save Dream. The thing in his brain continued to assert itself, continued to torment him with whispers of power and control beyond his widest aspirations. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That all changed once he stumbled into the chaotic lands of the outer world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was so decimated and defaced that the Dreamon inside of him calmed. It purred in the presence of such ruination, and left his battered mind alone. It sunk into a kind of dormancy, only occasionally rising when the hunters caught up with him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then, Dream met Tommy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He saved him from a particularly bad encounter, and defeated the three hunters with just a single End Crystal. He was amazing, and Dream was very grateful. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the Dreamon was intrigued. It wanted to stick around Tommy for a while longer, to sniff him out and see what he was made of. Dream, for once, didn’t have any objections. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So he traveled with Tommy. They shared the same food, the same water. They looked out for each other, and told stories beside the campfire. It was the most wholesome experience Dream had in over 2 long years. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Until the slavers came. They ambushed the duo and dragged Dream away, all the while fawning over Tommy and treating him like a god amongst men. The Dreamon stirred from its slumber, and choked out its snake tail laugh. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“They like him. I wonder why?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream was currently in the process of being ‘reconditioned’, so he couldn’t respond. And that just made it so much worse. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“He is powerful, so much more powerful than I first thought. He shows great promise, like you once did. But I wonder if he is perhaps more capable than you. He is so young, yet already so experienced with this world and its harsh reality.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream didn’t like where this was going. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I want you to get closer to him, vessel. I want to see if he is as glorious as these slavers say.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream couldn’t decide how to react to this. On one hand, he did really want to get to know Tommy more, but on the other....if Dreamon wanted the two to become better friends, it couldn’t be for the best. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was distracted from his turbulent thoughts by a knife in the shoulder. It tore a pained scream out of him, and the slaver laughed in malicious contentment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before it could be dragged through his skin any longer, a knock sounded at the door. His torturer wrenched his blade out and stalked towards the entrance. His eyes lit up in recognition upon seeing the intruder, but instead of another slaver it was Tommy who barged into the room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With wicked precision, he cut down Dream’s captor. Blood spattered and a thud sounded as the hulking body of the slaver hit the floor. When Dream caught Tommy’s eyes, he saw the detached killer instinct replaced by a caring and concerned friend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They talked for a while before leaving, all the while the Dreamon was whispering hissing praise in his ear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“</span>
    <span class="s11">Oh how delightful! He really is as skilled as they said! Did you see how he cut through his enemy like butter on a plate? No mercy, no quarter. You know what, vessel? I think I’ve found a brand new plaything.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream couldn’t suppress a shiver. Tommy hadn’t meant to catch the entity’s attention so throughly, but he had nevertheless. And now, whenever it was awake, the Dreamon would demand he talk to Tommy, be near Tommy, or anything of the sort. It was exhausting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually the duo made it to somewhere safe. But their peace didn’t last long. A whole host of angry slavers had chased them out to their hiding spot and were preparing to kill them. Dream tried to encourage Tommy to keep running, but the teen wouldn’t have any of it. The killer gleam in his eye returned, this time with a bloodthirsty passion that reminded Dream of himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He left Dream in the cave, and went out to wreck bloody chaos. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But, he was gone too long, and Dreamon rose up again to offer its complaints. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“You should go check on him. I feel like something important is happening, and you should be there to witness it. Go on now.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream sighed and decided to obey for once. He too felt a strange disturbance, like there was something unnatural in the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And he was right. Tommy was standing there motionless, holding his bow straight and true. The arrow nocked in its string was alight with dancing flames, and it was aimed at a newbie’s heart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A defenseless, innocent newbie. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“Ah, so not only is he inclined towards violence, he is its beloved servant. He bows at death’s feet and prays to her sweet embrace. Never is his hunger for blood and conquest satisfied. I am starstruck, vessel.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sincerity with which the Dreamon said those things startled Dream. It sounded even more ensnared with Tommy then it had with Dream so long ago when he had first summoned it. But, after he talked Tommy down from killing the newbies, he still had to contend with a traumatized child. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He comforted Tommy, soothing him after explaining that he wasn’t a monster, he was merely a desperate person just trying to make his own way in the world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But the Dreamon kept nagging at him. It scratched at the back of his mind to tell Tommy of him, to let him in on the secret. So, in order to avoid a possible possession, Dream regaled Tommy with the cliff notes version of his encounter with Dreamon. His tragic fall from grace, his conflict with his friends, and the Dreamon’s eventual recession into the dark corner of his mind. All of it. Dream felt a burden lift off his shoulders, like telling Tommy the story of his great failure was somehow healing his fractured heart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dreamon still wasn’t satisfied. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“Give him the extra mask. He’ll continue to be recognized as you travel together.....and unless you want to keep relying on him to fight your battles, you best hide his identity.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream knew that the hated creature in his head was right. Tommy was so larger than life that he was bound to be recognized by the people they’d encounter in the future. So, reluctantly at first, he gave Tommy his spare smiley mask. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Immediately Tommy brightened up and threw his arms around Dream. He loved the gift, and made sure that his friend knew it. His lopsided smile was a blinding sun that chased the shadows away from Dream’s soul. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But all good things were not meant to last. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They came across someone in the whipping wind and pouring snow one night. A pink haired and royal looking someone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Technoblade.</em> The worthy rival that had so long ago started Dream on his warpath of self-destruction and pain. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And Tommy was holding his own against him. He was standing strong, wielding an enchanted bow with Flame that would ignite an End Crystal right under Techno’s feet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I have made my final choice now, little vessel of mine.” </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">Dreamon’s voice suddenly intruded upon his thoughts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you talking about?” Dream hissed back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I have been thinking for quite a while now. About you, and about your latest friend. He is superior to you in many ways, but chief among those is his lust for danger, for death. He does not care who he cuts down, it only matters that they feel every second of their demise. I find that very admirable, and extremely desirable for the goals I have in mind. My choice has been made, that choice being whether or not I will leave you for Tommy.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream lurched back in horror. “No, you can’t go to him! I summoned you to this world, and it would break our deal for you to leave now!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“Oh I beg to differ. I granted you your wish of ultimate power, and then you spurned me once you realized how high of a price you’d have to pay for that power. My end of the bargain was given in full and now I may leave whenever I wish!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Dreamon’s voice boomed, and it took on a darker tone of ancient malice and unknowable depth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s11">“I will have your traveling companion as my vessel, or I will have nothing.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Infestation Act 1: Take Root</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i am SO sorry that this took so long to get out......writers block + school is such a bitch. but i’ll try to get updates out more frequently now that i have some inspiration back! </p>
<p>oh and tw: detailed depictions of demonic possession :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s ears were blown out by the massive explosion. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The End Crystal went up in flames around Techno as planned, but Tommy felt odd. He didn’t feel as jubilant or exhilarated as he thought; instead he felt a kind of persistent tingling sensation all over his body. It was like every one of his nerves was on fire with a foreign energy. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tommy, <em>run!” </em></span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream’s voice pierced the hazy veil that had fallen over him. It sounded shrill and laced with visceral terror. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Tommy turned to Dream, he saw a cloud of blackness hanging over his head. It dripped off his shoulders like inky poison, but he found it difficult to be repulsed by it. How could he be frightened of something that called to him so softly? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“Yes, come to me! I will bestow upon you power beyond your wildest dreams!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy’s eyes drooped and his body leaned subconsciously towards Dream and his hovering demon. He wanted what it offered, and after so many months of running from his problems....</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Power sounded real good right about now. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, you belong to me Dreamon! I forbid you from leaving my earthly vessel!” Dream seemed to wrestle with himself. He violently jerked back and forth, grasping fruitlessly at the being above his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Dreamon screeched in unholy rage. <em>“</em></span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Reach out your arm boy, and I will be freed from my insolent former host!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its voice was slithering and persuasive, and Tommy felt compelled to obey it. He stretched out his arm to touch the straining demon. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It felt like a dark, deep pit of eldritch force and consumption. Abominable horror disguised with silvery words and desperate promises. Tommy still could not resist it, and his mind emptied of all thoughts except for the Entity’s intoxicating power. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was vaguely aware of Dream shouting his name, but he couldn’t care less. A fierce shivering settled over him, and a cold blanket wrapped itself around him. A second skin of sensation, almost. Then, the voice appeared in his head. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Dream will try to rid you of me. I suggest we run now. We can fight back against him and your wretched family later.”</em> </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy saw the sense in that. Live to fight another day; it was basically 2b2t gospel and Tommy had burned it into his brain. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So, with newfound strength and conviction, Tommy snuck away into the snowy night. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream screamed himself hoarse trying to dissuade Tommy from accepting the Dreamon’s devilish influence, but it was no use. He knew what it was like to be possessed by the thing, and unfortunately once it lured in its prey with promises of power and influence it usually had them ensnared for quite a while yet. Tommy would be completely under its thrall until he trapped the Dreamon again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But before Dream could shake himself off and run after Tommy, he was tackled to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A smoking Technoblade snarled in his face. The left side of his head was burnt, but not beyond repair. His long hair was straggly and crispy, but his blood red eyes still looked as clear as ever. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the <em>hell</em> was that Dream? What witchcraft have you performed on Tommy?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno held Dream to the ground and stared him down with a ferocious intensity. “I did nothing! It was a Dreamon, it possessed him!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh yeah right, like I’ll believe that! You’re just a malicious asshole who wants to spread his evil wherever he goes!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream couldn’t help but think of George and Sapnap, who he toyed with just for his own sick amusement. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay yeah, I admit that I’m a piece of work, but just this once I was actually trying to save Tommy! The Dreamon attached to me left and is now infesting Tommy, Techno! If we can exorcise it, then he’ll go back to normal!” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Finally, this seemed to knock some sense into Techno. He loosened his grip on Dream and crossed his burly arms. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I’ll have to ask Philza about that. If I find out you’re lying pal....” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream sighed. “Yeah, you’ll have my head on a pike, yada yada. But I promise you, there isn’t any deception here! Just....a horrible accident.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno snorted in obvious contempt. “I’ve learned that there are no mere accidents when you’re involved, Dream.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil heard the screaming and shouting in the distance, of course. He heard Techno curse, which the piglin hybrid hadn’t done in quite a while, and another man join in on the chorus. He didn’t recognize it, but it sounded desperate and terrified. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hurriedly dragged Wilbur along and eventually they made it to a bombed out clearing. It looked like a fresh explosion had gone off, and then a brief scuffle had occurred immediately after. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil was not prepared for the sudden cacophony of noise. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Phil, I found Dream and Tommy! But he blew me up with an End Crystal and then escaped! I tried to subdue Dream but then he started babbling on about Dreamons and exorcisms, and I can’t deal with this right now.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno looked terrible, and Phil wanted to hug his oldest child in a death grip until he calmed down and stopped shaking, but the information stream coming from the piglin’s mouth was too shocking. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dreamons? Possessions and End Crystals? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Shit. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay mate, slow down. First off, let me see Dream. I have a few questions I need to ask him.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno nodded curtly, smiling slightly in anticipation. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He took Phil to a green clothed masked man, Dream, and he immediately hardened his voice and demanded answers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Spill. What the fuck happened here?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream sighed in breathless relief. “Well I met Tommy a couple months ago. He saved me from some Hunters, and then we banded together. We figured that it’d be the safest bet against this absolute shit hole of a world.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil could definitely agree that it was best to have at least one traveling companion with you in places like these. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But....then I got captured by some slavers. Tommy had to rescue me, and he told me about his past here.” Through the crack in the mask, Phil could see his pained expression. “He said that he was part of some underground fighting arena that demanded blood and death. He was one of the top fighters, but after a while griefers came and ruined the event. I don’t know much about his time here after that, but I will say that he...wasn’t proud of what he did in the ring. I would have to comfort him, and convince him that he isn’t an irredeemable monster just for protecting himself in an impossible situation.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil tensed and clenched his fists together. Tommy, <em>his son,</em> relied on a total stranger for emotional support? Rather than just come home and receive that same support from his loved and trusted family? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That isn’t the end of the story though. I hadn’t told him about my.....affliction. Which leads me to present day. I invited a Dreamon into my mortal body in the past, and seeing how brave and strong Tommy was against Technoblade....I guess it decided to leave me in favor of him.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Techno growled from beside Phil. Clearly, this was a touchy subject. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I tried to hold it back, I really did! But it latched onto him and escaped into the snow!” Dream stood up and straightened from where he was sitting. “We have to find him and banish the Dreamon before it establishes an unbreakable bond with Tommy.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil had of course heard whispers of demons and possessions from his travels, but never had he found the hidden knowledge of how to banish one from its host before. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How does Dreamon possession work exactly? I know the basics but you’ll need to go into detail.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream nodded, and although he looked almost embarrassed to reveal his extensive secret knowledge of the subject, he began his speech. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Demons, but Dreamons in particular thrive on deals with mortal beings. They listen for calls from the earthly plane, and answer when they are summoned. The human that summons them always has a deal in mind, but often the Dreamon will persuade them to accept a ‘better’ deal that suits the Dreamon and their specific needs more. In my case, it was power and respect, but the Dreamon warped my original wish into utter chaos. They always want a strong host, because if someone weak or incapable hosts them, the human will combust from the inside out.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil’s eyes widened involuntarily. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I hosted my Dreamon for many years, and brought it great fortune with my ignorance and skill. But immortal beings get bored eventually. When I was saved by Tommy those months ago, it saw something in him. It liked his ferocious spirit and bloodthirsty intention. I was commanded to stay by his side and learn more about him, but I guess it wasn’t entirely the Dreamon’s influence. He’s a great kid, and capable of so much greatness. I....wanted to help him.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil could begrudgingly understand that, and so could Techno to a degree. Tommy had a lot of potential, and all he needed was a chance to really shine in the right environment. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But the Dreamon took what I wanted and <em>twisted</em> it into a horrible thing. And now he’s infested; it’s only a matter of time before it gets a deal out of him. Then they’ll really be tied together until both ends of the bargain are completed.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Phil grimaced. “Okay then, I’ve heard enough. How do we find Tommy and get this little fucker out of him?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">. . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was something <em>moving</em> in his mind. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was dark, and slippery like a fish from the river. It had grasping claws and rending teeth that sharpened to a razor’s edge. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it also had a deep and rumbly voice that purred pleasantly in his ear. It distracted him from the biting winds and cold snow that dropped all around him. The loneliness that seeped into his bones stung like a viper’s fang, but the thing in his head felt like a velvety blanket. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A valley full of snow covered melons loomed before Tommy. They looked untouched and even edible. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As he uprooted some particularly juicy ones, the thing stared talking to him again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“You need not be picking melons up off the hard ground like some commoner! You could be eating hot steak and fresh pork chops like a king, if you just listened to me!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy continued farming melons, but curiously turned his ear towards the voice. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“I can grant any wish you may have! My power extends far beyond your mortal limitations. Do you want to defeat that legendary warrior you faced off against last night? Well, I can give you the strength you need to do just that! Or, do you desire a kingdom of your own? I can offer you the silvery tongue of a thousand rogues and the influence of a hundred lords! Do you want the subjugation of all who should pursue you, or....do you wish for something to set you apart from your gifted family?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy had been sort of idly listening, but by the end he was enraptured. This slithering thing in his head could give him something to make him unique? Make him different from all his talented and legendary family members? </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What could you give me that my family don’t have? That none of my brothers have?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It smiled inside of his mind, the picture of malicious contentment. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Anything you can dream of, little one. I will make them </em>sick<em> with jealousy at the mere sight of you.”</em> </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy liked the thought of that. He liked it so very much. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28506639">the world's oldest server, with the world's youngest ring fighter</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahloveszombies/pseuds/noahloveszombies">noahloveszombies</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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